


Broken Strings of Fate

by TallyDubh



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Abusive Thoughts, Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety, Canon-Typical Violence, Chapter count may change, Civil War Fix-It, Discussions of Bucky's Triggers, F/M, Flashbacks, Hydra (Marvel), Mentions of brainwashing, Misogynistic Behavior, Not canon compliant half way through Civil War, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Russian that may or may not be correct, Soulmates, Soulmates - Strings of Fate, medical discussions, tags to be added as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-05-19 10:08:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 38,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14871746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TallyDubh/pseuds/TallyDubh
Summary: When Bucky finds Captain America in his apartment and then gets arrested by the UN he’s certain that he’s going to be locked away somewhere to rot for the rest of his life. But when a part of his past, one that he barely remembers, comes back into his life everything he thought is turned on its head. It’s not all rainbows and happiness though, there’s a plot that could tear this new safety to pieces, along with his heart.





	1. Chapter 1

The china cup slipped from Victoria’s nerveless fingers as she stared at the picture displayed larger than life on the tv. It had been more than ten years since she’d last seen that face, and it had been during the most harrowing time in her life. 

Her life had been picture perfect before then. She was the beloved daughter of Victor Von Doom after all. The pampered princess, the sole heir to Latveria’s throne. Victoria had known from a very young age that she was in fact a clone. It had never mattered to her that she had no mother, her father gave her enough love for two parents. He’d given her everything she could ever want or need. And when she’d shown signs of incredible intelligence at a young age, he’d hired the very best tutors for her. 

Victoria’s life had been perfect until the day that HYDRA had come for her. She found out when she’d returned to him that they had approached her father. When he’d turned them down flat and sent them on their way, they’d warned him that he would regret his decision. He’d been wrong to think that she was safe enough they couldn’t get to her. Because they were already close. 

Her nanny, a woman who’d been with her since she’d been in diapers, was in their pocket. Had helped HYDRA snatch the 16-year-old when they’d been celebrating her graduation from University in Paris. She’d spent three years in their clutches until she’d escaped. 

Victor’s arms coming around her broke her out of her flashbacks and she found that she had to lean heavily on him. Her legs wouldn’t hold her, and her fingers were tingling with the panic racing through her veins. 

He was alive. 

The last time she’d seen that face, it had been as the elevator doors had closed between them and a dozen armed soldiers closed in around him. She had been sure that he had died to get her out of their control. A man who had not remembered his own name had given his life to see her to safety. 

“Victoria, darling, what is it?” Her father’s voice helped to ground her, helped to press the panic away enough to think. As the memories faded she was able to tear her eyes away from the tv. Glancing at her father, barely an inch taller than her, she had to swallow hard several times before she found her voice. 

“It’s him, Papa, it’s Soldat.” 

***

The next several hours saw them scrambling to locate him. Victor disappeared into his lab, burying himself into multiple monitors as he scoured satellite feeds, bank records, and CCTV footage. Victoria played to her own strengths, emails, and phone calls, trying to locate him via the network of contacts that stretched over all of Europe. She turned up nothing, though she was able to determine which of those contacts needed a reminder of why it was best to answer her questions when she called them. But that was a problem for another day. 

Victoria had just slammed her office phone down in frustration when the door opened to reveal her father, more ruffled that she’d ever seen him. His short hair was sticking up at angles like he’d run his hands through it multiple times, his shirt sleeves were shoved up to his elbows, and there appeared to be a coffee stain on his chest. 

“Papa? Anything?” She heard the desperate edge in her voice, but she refused to feel shame over it. This man had saved her in more ways than one all those years ago. His final words to her were an order to return to her father, an order that saved her mind. It had been a long hard fight back to herself, breaking the brainwashing had been hell. Even more than a decade later and she was still noticing little twitches that weren’t her own, lingering effects. Not to mention the nightmares and paranoia that would probably be with her for the rest of her life. 

“He’s been living in Romania. I have about ten seconds of grainy but recognizable cell phone footage of him leaving the back door of a restaurant at the time of the bombing. Some tourists filming the sights. He’s being framed.” Her father’s words dropped a block of ice into her stomach. Her hands began to shake and she could feel her heart kick in her chest. 

“Papa… Papa, they have a kill order on him. They’re going to shoot him before he even gets to deny it.” She swallowed hard as soon as the words left her mouth, trying to keep her suddenly roiling stomach under control. Victor’s hand on her shoulder both startled and settled her. She must have lost some time because she didn’t notice him cross the room to her side. But his touch allowed her to breathe deeply and calm enough to think. 

“We will not allow that to happen. Come, we must pack quickly.” Victoria stared up at her father for a few moments, before rising to her feet. A quick curtsy to him was all she was able before he pulled her into a hard hug. 

“He sent my little girl back to me, protected her when I could not. I am in his debt and I will help him however I can.” Victor’s voice was low, a deep rumble that made her feel safe, reminded her that she was loved. She allowed herself to wallow in that safety for a few moments before she pulled away and straightened her spine. 

“Then we’d best hurry. What do you suggest we do?”

***

They were on the plane headed to Bucharest when the news broke. Captain America, The Falcon, Black Panther and The Winter Soldier had been captured in Bucharest and were being transported to the UN HQ in Berlin. Victoria knew that they owed a great debt to Captain America for interfering because if he hadn’t the German Special Police that had gone after him would have killed him on sight. 

While Victoria was trying not to cry in relief that he wasn’t dead, her father went to the cockpit to redirect the pilot to Berlin. 

They arrived only a few minutes before the prisoners, to be greeted by Deputy Task Force Commander Everett Ross. Who could not have been less interested in a single thing they had to say. 

“Deputy Ross, I have shown you the footage, and you have seen for yourself that it hasn’t been faked.” Victoria had allowed her father to speak to the Deputy. He was the King, and her own degree in political science meant less to this man than her being a princess. In fact, up to that point, Deputy Ross had mostly ignored her. 

“I am having a hard time understand why it is that you even care, Doom. Why would you show up in person to try and help a man that you’ve never met before in your life?” Ross’ tone was snide, and Victoria was beginning to become angry. 

“I am running out of patience with you, Deputy Ross. I have told you multiple times that I have proof that he is being framed for the bombing, and yet you seem not to care that you have arrested an innocent man. Do you care so little about the law and so much for your revenge that you will ignore this?” Victor’s voice was clipped, a tone that Victoria knew meant that he was becoming very angry. When Ross opened his mouth once again, Victoria stepped into the conversation. 

“Deputy Ross, we have presented you with evidence that he is innocent. You have ignored it. I am done playing this game with you. Here are documents stating that he has diplomatic immunity granted to him from Latveria, a member of the UN. He is to be released at once, or I will be filing a complaint against you.” Victoria handed the folder of papers to Deputy Ross and waited for him to read through them. They were older, a little yellowed from being in a filing cabinet for ten years. 

Her father had granted the man who’d helped her escape HYDRA with the only thing he could at the time, diplomatic immunity. It had only been that day that they had been able to fill in his actual name. 

Ross stared at the documents, and she could see him becoming upset the longer he read. He knew that he was in a corner, that there was nothing he could do but comply. 

“I don’t like being strong-armed. I was going to have him released as soon as they arrived anyway. I just wanted to know why you were going through such lengths for a man you’d never met.” Deputy Ross said, closing the folder with a snap. Victor opened his mouth to reply, but Victoria’s hand on his arm stopped him. 

“Deputy Ross, I was kidnapped by HYDRA more than ten years ago. They assigned a man to be my keeper while they held me. Up until today, I knew him only as Soldat. James Barnes is that man, and he helped me escape HYDRA when he couldn’t even remember his own name. My father granted him the only boon he could at the time. Now we are here to see that debt repaid. He’s being framed, and you really should be focusing on that instead of prying into our personal lives.” Victoria said it all very quickly, trying not to allow her emotions to overwhelm her. It was not an easy thing to speak of, even all these years later. Ross studied her for several long moments before looking to her father. Victoria didn’t have the chance to see what expression on her father’s face made Ross nod sharply because a convoy of vehicles had pulled into the garage behind them. 

She turned to watch as three men climbed out of the first to be greeted by a blond woman, but her attention was drawn away when they opened the back of the large truck and used a forklift to remove a glass cage from inside it. Her heart jumped in her chest when she laid eyes on the man inside the cage. 

He was there. He was alive. 


	2. Chapter 2

Bucky blinked as the back of the truck opened and the harsh light of the cavernous garage poured in. There were no windows in the back of the truck, and only the lights from inside his cage had filled the dark space. He tensed at the first jolt of the cage moving, and then hissed as another jolt of electricity rippled through him from the chair he was strapped to.

Memories clawed at the back of his mind, memories of another chair he’d been strapped into. He desperately pushed them away, trying his best to keep his awareness in the present.

They moved him several yards from the truck and set him down. Half a dozen men surrounded the cage, weapons in hand as a technician went over the readout on the front. He carefully studied each one, noting the differences in stance and how each one carried their guns. When the technician glanced up at him, he locked eyes with the other man. It took several moments for the man to finally drop his gaze and Bucky had to swallow hard to keep the bile from rising.

No one here was going to help him.

Blinking rapidly to keep the tears from gathering, he returned his attention to the room beyond the soldiers. Only to have his gaze fall on a woman standing in a cluster to his left. She was tall, even without the four-inch heels. Dark hair was pulled up into a high ponytail and the rich purple of her silk blouse nearly glowed against her tanned skin. The deep red of her lipstick caught his attention before a memory in the back of his mind surfaced.

He knew her. He remembered this woman.

The memories flooded into his brain, blocking out reality as they played.

A skinny girl, no more than sixteen years old, stood defiantly in the corner of the cell that his handlers shoved him into. He was given orders to keep her under control before the door shut behind him and the lock clicked over. She’d looked him over with rage in her blackened eyes, even as her bruised chin had lifted. Her courage had a half-formed memory surfacing, one of a small man with a black eye.

He’d been her watcher for three years. The only other time they’d left him out of cryo for so long was when he’d been training the girls in the Red Room. The time between sessions in the chair had lengthened as well when they realized he wasn’t going to fight them. Something about taking care of the girl had mellowed his need to lash out at everyone.

It had been a mistake because he’d been remembering, and when they had failed to wipe him for more than a month he’d hatched a plan. The girl had been programmed to follow his orders after her third escape attempt, and when he’d managed to steal the keycard off of one of the guards she’d followed him without question.

The last time he’d seen her had been when he shoved her into the elevator to the surface of the base with a hasty order to return to her father by any means. The elevator door had closed before any of the soldiers running toward them could stop it. He never knew what had happened to her, hadn’t even remembered she existed until he’d broken free of HYDRA in New York and his memories had begun to return. When they had, he remembered Pierce punishing him and telling him that she had died in the attempt.

Bucky blinked and shook his head, shaking the memories out of it. When he looked up again she was striding across the room toward him, a tall man Bucky recognized as Victor Von Doom, and two hulking robots followed in her wake. He was shaking by the time her voice reached his ears.

“Release him at once!” Her voice was deep and rich, her stride graceful and elegant. The heels and pencil skirt didn’t seem to hinder her ability to walk at all. Bucky gaped when he realized she was talking about him. The entire room turned to stare at her as she came to a stop in front of one of the soldiers.

“Sorry, Ma’am. But I don’t take my orders from you.” The soldier’s answer was enough to have her turning a cold stare his way. When he didn’t move to follow her order she huffed and glanced over her shoulder.

“Bobert, Carl. Get that cage open. Now.” The two robots that had trailed behind her came to attention and moved past her toward his cage. The soldiers reacted by lifting their weapons at them. The tension in the room was thick until a blonde man in a grey suit stepped forward.

“Enough! Release him.” The man’s expression made it clear that was the last thing he wanted to do, but the soldiers glanced at each other before following the order. Bucky waited as the technician shut the cage down. When his hands were released, he used the left to gently rub his right wrist. When the door opened, he slowly and cautiously stepped out. He kept his attention on the soldiers as they took several steps away from him, dragging the technician away as they did. Bucky stepped far enough away from the cage to close the door again and then put it to his back.

The man in the grey suit and Von Doom were in a heated conversation with the man who’d been wearing the catsuit as the woman carefully stepped closer to Bucky.

“Hello, Soldat. Do you remember me?” Bucky flinched at the name but turned his eyes to her. He had to admit if only to himself, that she was gorgeous. Deep brown eyes studied him, and he had to fight to keep from reaching out to her.

“My name’s Bucky. And yes, I remember you. I… they told me they killed you.” Bucky’s voice came out thick and soft. The woman took a deep breath, and when she smiled he saw that it didn’t quite reach those amazing eyes.

“You saved me, Bucky. Because of what you did I was able to get away. I thought… I thought they had killed you as well. For helping me get away.” She took a tentative step toward him as she spoke, and her hand lifted away from her side. It stopped halfway to him, and on impulse, he snagged it with his left hand before she could pull it away again. Her eyes flicked down to their joined hands before she took another step closer.

“I’m very glad that you are safe, _Otrod'ye_ *,” Bucky said. He watched her smile at his old nickname for her and this time it reached her eyes. She had been a ‘brat’ in truth while he’d been her keeper. Though he’d been careful not to call her that in front of the guards at the time. He’d also refused to call her ‘Princess’ as the other guards had, seeing how much it had upset her when they did.

“My name is Victoria.” She said. Bucky smiled tentatively at her.

Movement drew his attention beyond her, and when he noticed the man in the grey suit stalking toward them he acted on impulse again. He tugged on her hand, pulling her around and stepping in front of her. By the time the man had drawn level with the two hulking robots in front of him, Bucky had planted himself between Victoria and him. It made his hands shake, to realize that he hadn’t even thought to place himself between them.

Was it some sense of connection to her? Or was it left over programming from HYDRA that made him need to shield her like that? It was not an easy thing to think about.

His actions had the man stopping short, giving him a calculating look. When he did speak, it was directly to Bucky.

“I’m Deputy Ross, I’m in charge. You’re no longer under arrest. Von Doom and his daughter have found proof that you were framed for the bombing. We’d like to place you under protective custody and interview you to see if we can find a lead on who would want to frame you. However, because you have diplomatic immunity, we can only do so with your express permission.” Ross said. Bucky studied him, noting the frustration and contempt in his voice and face. This was a man who was not happy about finding his ‘villain’ had been framed. It made Bucky reluctant to place his welfare in this man’s hands. A small warm hand on his back made him glance over his shoulder at Victoria before turning back to watch Ross.

“It’s up to you on what you wish to do. You can stay here and they will protect you. Or you can come back to Latveria with us. Our jet is waiting at the airport for us to return.” Her voice was pitched low, and he wondered if anyone other than himself heard what she said. Bucky wanted to ask her about the diplomatic immunity, wanted to know why she was offering to take him back to her home. But in the end, he held his tongue. Glancing at the soldiers still loitering to his right he made a snap decision.

“I’ll agree to the interview, but I won’t be putting myself into your custody. Not when your men are half a second away from shooting me.” Bucky said, turning to glare at the soldiers. Every single one of them blanched and removed their fingers from the triggers of their weapons when Ross turned his own glare their way.

Everything seemed to happen very quickly after that. His backpack and jacket were returned to him in short order and he and the Von Dooms were escorted to a private room to wait for the psychologist to arrive who would be interviewing Bucky. They passed by a conference room on the way, bearing witness to Steve and Stark yelling at one another over the top of the table. When Steve noticed him walking by, he cocked his head in confusion. Bucky turned away from him.

Deputy Ross ushered them into another conference room, this one with real walls and looked as if he was going to join them. Two hard glares from the Von Dooms made him change his mind, and he excused himself before closing the door.

As soon as the door was closed and it was just the three of them and the robots, Victoria collapsed into one of the chairs at the table. Victor went to her, crouching at her side and laid his hand on her knee.

“Victoria, Darling, are you okay?” His voice was soft and kind as he looked up at her. She laid one hand over his on her knee, even as the other lifted to cover her eyes. Bucky slipped into a chair on the other side of the table, as far from the father and daughter as he could get. He felt distinctly out of place as if he was intruding on something he shouldn’t be.

“I’ll be fine, Papa. It was just hard to see him caged again.” She murmured. After several long moments where she breathed carefully, she dropped her hand away from her eyes and looked at Bucky. Victor stood, keeping his daughter’s hand in his own, as he turned his attention to Bucky.

“It’s very good to finally meet you, James.” Victor Von Doom’s voice was warm, and Bucky was shocked to find him genuine. Bucky opened his mouth, only to have Victor raise a hand to hold him off.

“Please, let me finish.” He paused, only continuing when Bucky nodded slowly. “You protected my daughter when I failed to do so. HYDRA warned me that I would regret turning them away, and I was too arrogant to take them at their word. I am eternally in your debt for returning my child to me, and if there is anything you should need, just ask. You will always have a home in Latveria as well.”

Bucky gaped at him, not quite able to wrap his mind around everything that had happened that day. To return to his shitty apartment to find Captain America there, and then running from the police and finally being captured. And now this. He was free, was being offered shelter and protection from a powerful man. It was all a little hard to absorb and believe at the moment.

“Thank you… Your majesty. Please, my name is Bucky. And I’ll… keep your offer in mind.” Bucky stuttered over his words, not sure how to address Von Doom. Victor smiled at him and nodded before taking a seat next to his daughter, never letting go of her hand. Bucky glanced up at the robots, noting that they had taken up position on either side of the door. It made him itch that they were blocking the exit.

Victoria glanced behind her and sighed.

“Carl. Add Bucky to your databanks. Your orders are now to protect him as you would me.” The bright purple robot shifted and a beam of light ran over Bucky several times before disappearing. The bright green robot didn’t move at all.

“James Buchanan Barnes added to the databank. Status: Duke. Orders: Protect. ” The purple robot, Carl, intoned and Bucky trembled at the implications of what it had said. Bucky tore his eyes away from the robot to gape at the two other humans in the room.

“I think I’m gonna need some answers. What’s going on?” Bucky asked, struggling to keep his breathing under control as his emotions rose to overwhelm him. He watched Victoria sigh and rub the bridge of her nose before looking at him again.

“Bucky, I’m sorry. You’re right we do owe you answers.” Victoria said. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her knuckles go white as she tightened her grip on her father’s hand. Victor reached over and patted her hand gently, but didn’t seem inclined to take the lead in the conversation.

“When I returned to my father, it took more than a year to break the programming HYDRA had placed in my head. Afterward, when I was more myself again, I told my father of what you had done for me. How you had protected me from the guards and had helped me escape. Though we were both certain that you had died to get me out, my father granted you what boons he could just in case you hadn’t. He gave you diplomatic immunity, and gave you the title of Duke.”

Bucky looked between the two of them, still just as confused as before.

“Why?” He asked, trying to lower his heart rate. Why would anyone care enough to do that for him?

“As I said before, I am in your debt for returning my daughter to me. I would have done much more if I had had the power to. But as it is, this is all I could do. What happens from here is up to you.” Victor spoke up. Bucky heard the tightness in the other man’s voice, the fear, and realized that this man would have handed Bucky the world in thanks for his daughter’s life. Victoria was watching him with hope and Bucky wondered what it was that she wanted from him.

“This is all a little much. Not an hour ago I thought I was going to be tossed into some dark cell and left to rot, and now you’re telling me that I’m a Duke.” Bucky said. Victoria sighed but nodded.

“Like my father said, what happens next is up to you. Though it would make me feel better if you returned with us to Latveria until this issue with you being framed has been resolved.” Victoria said. Bucky sighed and looked down at his hands as he thought.

“Let me think about it, please. I’ll let you know after the interview.” Bucky said quietly. Victoria nodded and pulled her phone from her purse. It seemed to be a sign for Victor to do the same, and for the next hour, the two of them spoke quietly. Bucky didn’t listen, instead, he stared at his hands and tried to think about what he should do.

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:   
> Otrod'ye - brat, offspring, child. Used in the context of Brat


	3. Chapter 3

When the doctor arrived, a twitchy man in glasses and an ill-fitting jacket, Bucky had moved to the window to look out at Berlin. The door opening behind him had Bucky turning to look, and he bit back a laugh when the doctor squeaked at the two robots when they rounded on him. The Von Dooms rose from their seats to regard Deputy Ross and this new man. Ross very nearly had to shove the doctor all the way into the room when he hesitated to pass between the two robots. The doctor’s attention finally fell on Bucky and he stopped short once again. 

“Why is that prisoner out of restraints?” He nearly screeched. Bucky turned to face him completely and crossed his arms over his chest. Lifting an eyebrow, he turned his gaze to Deputy Ross. 

“As I told you before, Dr. Broussard, Mr. Barnes is no longer a prisoner. You are here only to assist in an interview with him to ascertain whether he knows anything about why he’s being framed.” Deputy Ross said, ushering the man to the table. Bucky watched the doctor’s face drain of color, even as his eyes flicked between Bucky and the robots. Everything about his body language set Bucky’s hackles up. When Ross motioned for Bucky to sit at the table, Bucky leaned against the wall opposite the doctor instead. Ross huffed but didn’t insist. Instead, he turned to the Von Dooms. 

“If you two could give us some privacy, there’s an agent outside that will escort you to a lounge so you are comfortable while you wait.” Ross smiled and held his arm out as if to escort them from the room. 

“I’m sorry, Deputy Ross but I’ll stay here. As we did not bring a lawyer with us, I’m the most qualified to represent Duke Barnes in this interview.” Victor spoke up. Ross stared at him for several long moments before sighing and looking to Victoria. 

“Your Highness, please, if you will.” Victoria glanced at her father but eventually complied. She gathered her phone and purse as well as Bucky’s backpack and gave Bucky an encouraging smile before she left the room. The green robot followed her out, but the purple one stayed where it was. Bucky couldn’t help but feel a little more at ease knowing that she had protection of some kind with her. Victor moved to sit in a chair in front of and to the left of Bucky. Ross settled into a chair across from Victor and pulled out a notepad and a file folder. 

“I really don’t feel comfortable with Mr. Barnes unrestrained.” The doctor said, not looking up at anyone, his eyes trained on the file in front of him. Bucky ground his teeth, itching to get away from this sketchy little man. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Victor sit up straighter. 

“You will address him as ‘Your Grace’ or ‘Duke Barnes’. As is fitting for his rank.” Victor’s voice had lost every ounce of warmth it had held when Victoria was in the room. This was no longer the father, this was the King and Bucky found himself impressed with this man. Ross threw his hands up in the air and huffed out a frustrated noise. 

“Doctor, I have told you before that  _ Duke _ Barnes is not a prisoner. Can we please get on with the interv-” Ross stopped halfway through the word as the lights in the room winked out. A moment later the emergency light above the door flickered on casting the room in a low red light. Ross rose from his chair and went to the door. Stepping out into the hallway, Bucky heard him yelling a question to an agent he found there. 

Movement at the table drew Bucky’s attention and he stood up straight in horror. The doctor had removed a small red book from his bag, a book that Bucky knew all too well. His heart was kicking in his chest as he felt his blood go cold. 

“Where did you get that?!” Bucky asked, dropping his hands to his sides. He lamented the fact that they had taken all of his knives in that moment, though he knew that he could kill this man with his bare hands. But could he do it before he read those dreaded words?

The doctor flipped the book open to a marked place and began to read. His voice shook in fear as the first word left his mouth. 

“ _ Zhelaniye. _ ” Bucky flinched at the sound of that word, and he struggled to halt the blackness creeping into his mind. 

“Stop,” Bucky whispered the word, stumbling a step forward. He barely caught himself on the chair in front of him, but his weight made the chair roll sideways. He lost his balance and would have hit the floor if Victor hadn’t surged to his feet and caught him. 

“ _ Rzhavyy _ .” The doctor’s voice sounded again, and with it, the blackness crept even closer. Bucky shuddered at the sound, his fingers digging into Victor’s shoulders. 

“Please, don’t!” He cried out, beginning to shake. 

“ _ Semnadtsat'. _ ” Bucky shoved away from Victor at that word, but before he could launch himself across the table toward the doctor, the other man began to convulse. There were strings running between the man and the purple robot. Bucky blinked, a little dumbfounded to see the robot tazing the man. Victor looked between Bucky and the doctor, then to the robot. 

“Carl, block the door.” The robot took a step to the side, using its bulk to keep the door from opening behind it. Once he was sure that they would not be interrupted, Victor turned to Bucky, gripping his shoulders. 

“What is happening?” Victor’s question made Bucky focus on him and helped shove the panic down. 

“He was trying to trigger me. Turn me into The Winter Soldier.” Bucky whispered, still shaking violently. Victor looked toward the doctor and Bucky followed his gaze. The doctor was scrambling at the leads connecting him to the robot. Victor let go of Bucky, rounded the table and snatched the red book up off the floor where it had landed. It disappeared into the inside pocket of his suit jacket just as someone tried to open the door to the room. The door opened a few inches before stopping short against Carl’s bulk. 

“Carl, let them in.” Victor ordered, even as he bent down and disengaged the leads to the doctor. While the doctor was still dazed, Victor flipped him onto his stomach and pinned his hands behind his back as he kneeled on his hips. 

Bucky lost time then, couldn’t remember when he’d moved, but he found himself pressed into the corner of the room with Carl standing in front of him as soldiers and Ross streamed in. Chaos reigned, shouted questions layered over the top of each other until Ross turned angry eyes on the doctor. With a flick of his hand, a soldier strode forward and handed Victor a set of handcuffs. The doctor was lifted to his feet and escorted from the room once the handcuffs were in place. Bucky stayed behind the robot, even if it the hair on the back of his neck stood on end from being blocked in. He felt like he could breathe in the tiny space behind the hulking mass of purple and black metal. 

“What the hell happened?!” Ross asked, rounding on Victor as soon as the soldiers were gone. Victor regarded him coldly for some time but answered in the end. 

“As soon as you left the room the doctor began to speak in Russian. Duke Barnes reacted negatively, asking him to stop. When he didn’t, the doombot tasked with protecting His Grace reacted and tazed him.” Victor said. Bucky looked out from behind the robot at Victor, wondering why he hadn’t mentioned the book. Not that he would have wanted Ross to know that there was written instructions on how to gain control of him. Ross and Victor turned to look at him, and he hesitantly stepped out of his corner. 

“He was trying to trigger me. I still have some programming from HYDRA, and those words are part of it. If he had succeeded in saying them all… I would have been completely under his control.” Bucky said it quietly, suddenly scared that Ross would arrest him again. 

“How did he know the words? How did he know the exact words that would have given him control of you?” Ross asked, glaring over at Bucky. Bucky stared back, his mind racing. 

“I don’t know, but I think you just found the man who tried to frame me,” Bucky said, starting to calm down again. It was apparent that Ross wasn’t going to arrest him again. 

“What do you mean?” Ross asked, crossing his arms over his chest. That calculating look was back on his face as if he was weighing everything that had happened up till that point. 

“Do you think him knowing my trigger words was a coincidence? Because I don’t. I think he framed me for that bombing so that you would track me down and give him access to me. For what purpose? I don’t know.” Bucky mirrored Ross’ position, the metal of his hand glinting in the red emergency lights. The two of them glared at each other for several long moments, until the sound of loud running footsteps were heard in the hallway. They grew closer until Steve burst into the room. Right behind him was one of the men who’d found Bucky in Bucharest, Victoria, and the other robot. Trailing behind them were several soldiers and a couple of agents. 

Victoria slid passed Steve to go to her father’s side. Bucky caught the exchange as Victor slipped the red book into her purse, but he didn’t think anyone else had. Everyone else in the room was staring at him after all. At the other’s arrival, Ross reached up and rubbed his forehead. 

“I’d still like to interview you, see if there’s anything else you can tell me about what’s going on,” Ross said without looking up. Bucky ground his teeth together and thought for a moment, trying to ignore Steve’s presence in the room.

“It’s not safe for me to be here. There might be others in the building, and if they get to me I can cause a lot of damage. I think it best if I leave.” Bucky said, glancing up at Victoria and her father. Victoria cocked her head at him but seemed to catch on to what he was saying. Steve’s affronted noise was ignored. 

“Deputy Ross, if it’s okay with you, I think it best that Duke Barnes returns to Latveria with us. We can set up a time when you can video call him for the interview.” Victoria effortlessly drew everyone’s attention to her, though Bucky saw Steve’s expression. Confusion warred with his damned puppy dog eyes, setting Bucky’s stomach to rolling with guilt. When Steve took a step toward Bucky, Bucky turned away and went around the table, keeping it between him and Steve. He stopped behind Victor, not looking at Steve as he waited for Victoria and Ross to discuss the video call. 

“I don’t like it, but okay. Leave me with your contact information and I’ll call you tomorrow for the interview. I need to go and question Dr. Broussard as it is.” Deputy Ross said. Victoria handed him a sleek business card, and he stuffed it into his breast pocket. After a nod to Bucky and Victor, he turned and ushered Steve and the others out of the room with stern words. Steve resisted but eventually left with the Deputy. Apparently, he was still in a lot of trouble for going against orders. When the door closed behind them, Victoria turned to her father. 

“What happened?” She asked, making another aborted motion to reach for Bucky. Bucky stepped closer to her and offered her his hand. She’d taken it before he realized that it was the left one. She wasn’t the only one who needed reassurance in that moment. Whatever connection they had shared while in HYDRA’s clutches seemed to have stuck around, because Bucky wasn’t normally one to be so touchy. Not anymore. 

“I think it best we discuss it on the plane. There are too many eyes and ears here. Keep what I put in your purse close, and let no one else see it until we are back at home.” Victor said. Victoria looked between her father and Bucky, even as Victor stared at their joined hands. But she didn’t argue, instead, she lead them out of the room and down the hallway. Bucky was reluctant to release her hand but did so before they left the room. 

There was a limo waiting for them in the garage, sleek and black, with small flags flying on the hood. Victoria slid in first, and after a moment of staring at one another, Victor followed. Bucky hesitated for only a moment, looking up to meet Steve’s eyes where he was standing in the doorway before he slid into the dark backseat and closed the door. He found his backpack sitting on the floorboard, and pulled it into his lap as the car pulled out of the garage. He despaired over his weapons but knew that he could always get more. Glancing out the back window, he watched the two robots take flight. After a minute he noticed them shadowing the car. 

Bucky didn’t know what Latveria had waiting for him but he thought, maybe foolishly, that he might be able to stop running now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:   
> zhelaniye - Longing  
> rzhavyy - Rusted  
> Semnadtsat' - Seventeen


	4. Chapter 4

Bucky dozed on the plane, the excitement of the day catching up with him as soon as they took off. He’d settled uneasily into a seat in the far back of the private jet, tucking himself into a dark corner with his backpack stuffed under his seat. His hands still itched for a knife, some kind of weapon to defend himself with.

Victor and Victoria’s low murmur of conversation from across the plane was more soothing than he’d thought it would be. He didn’t know these people, didn’t understand why he trusted them as much as he did. More accurately, why he trusted her as much as he did. Yes, he remembered Victoria, but it was vague, like a dream. The chair had stolen her from him too many times for the memories to be solid like those of his missions.

Bucky didn’t understand it, but he dozed anyway, letting their soft voices lull him into a half sleep.

The plane touching down jolted him awake, and he stood from his seat when the fasten seatbelt sign had gone off. Staying back, allowing the father and daughter to gather their things, Bucky slung his pack onto his back. Following several paces behind them, Bucky stepped out of the jet and into the coolness of twilight.

Several people swarmed Victor and Victoria as soon as their feet touched the asphalt of the runway. Bucky took in his surroundings as he made his way down to join them. A hanger was off to the right, standing empty and ready for the jet. A lit pathway lead from the runway to disappear into a stand of trees. The air was filled with the scents of growing things and dust, jet fuel and faintly, the smell of horse manure.

Bucky ducked to the side of the stairs, trying to keep back when the pilots came down the stairs with their bags. He nodded to the two of them when they looked to him, and almost swallowed his tongue when they both bowed before moving away. Before he could recover from the shock, Victoria called his name, beckoned him closer and he tentatively moved up to her side.

“I want you to meet someone,” Victoria said, motioning to the woman standing front and center of the group of people on the airstrip.

“Welcome to Latveria, Your Grace. I’m Patricia May. I run the day-to-day operations of the estate. If you need anything, or if something is not to your liking, please tell the closest servant. They will assist you.” Patricia May was a short, slightly plump woman with greying blonde hair. She curtsied deeply to him. Bucky had to swallow hard before he found his voice. He was incredibly uneasy about the attention he was getting from these people, but the look of encouragement he found on Victoria’s face had him trying.

“Thank you, Patricia, I will keep that in mind.” Bucky put as much confidence into his voice as he could muster, even as he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end from being the center of attention. He felt exposed like there was a target on his back. When Patricia turned her attention back to Victoria, Bucky lifted his head and scanned the tree line carefully.

Perhaps it was his nerves making him so jumpy, but something was telling him to find cover. Feeling eyes on him, Bucky turned and found Victor looking at him. Flicking his eyes over to Victoria who had moved off a few paces to speak with Patricia, Bucky sidled up to Victor’s side.

“We’re too exposed out here. Where are your guards? Don’t you have any?” He murmured it, making sure that only Victor could hear him. Bucky focused every sense he had on those trees. His hearing focused in: the wind rustling the leaves, the slight creaking of wood, the heartbeats of birds and small animals. He cursed the uncertain light around them as his eyes refused to penetrate the shadows below the canopy.

Victor didn’t get the chance to reply. From somewhere within those thick shadows came the sound of metal sliding across metal, and four faint clicks. The sound of a bolt action rifle chambering a round.

Bucky’s heart stopped, his eyes flicking over to Victoria. She was out of reach, and Bobert and Carl hadn’t been unloaded from the cargo bay of the jet yet. He wouldn’t reach her in time, he had seconds, if that, before the sniper took the shot. But there were people between the tree line and her, and perhaps some of the training she’d gotten from HYDRA was still there. There was only one thing he could do. Protect the King.

“GET DOWN!” He bellowed. Wrapping his metal arm around Victor’s neck, he swept the man’s legs out from under him in the same motion that he used to throw himself backward toward the ground. Twisting to take the brunt of the fall, Bucky grunted as Victor landed heavily on top of him. Something hard in his pack jammed into his ribs and he had to bite back a cry of pain. Rolling, his arm still around Victor’s neck, Bucky covered him bodily as the shot rang out.

The bullet embedded itself into the side of the jet directly behind where Victor’s head had been, and Bucky felt his heart start up again. They were after the king, not Victoria. The screams of the servants were still ripping the air apart when Bucky found his feet again. Digging for every ounce of speed he had he took off toward the trees. It didn’t matter that he didn’t have a weapon, he was one. It didn’t matter that he didn’t know the terrain, he’d hunted through rougher areas than a manicured estate. It didn’t matter that he had just met Victor that day, someone had tried to kill him.

Frantic movement and hissed curses sounded from the trees and Bucky zeroed in on the source. A wicked grin lifted his lips and bared his teeth. They’d given away their position.

At the edge of his focus, he heard Victoria call out his name, but he didn’t slow. He’d eaten the hundred feet to the treeline before the others noticed what he was doing. One final burst of speed ate the last of the distance and he slammed bodily into the man trying to run. Riding his body to the ground, Bucky clamped the fingers of his metal hand around the back of his neck, squeezing only enough to make sure he felt the pressure. He needed answers, not a quick kill. The body below him convulsed as he gasped for breath. The landing had knocked the wind from him.

“Pick your next actions very carefully, _mudak*_. It would be nothing to snap your neck and find out who sent you from your corpse.” Even as he was hissing the words against the man’s ear he was stripping him of his weapons. The pistol on his hip was shoved into the back of Bucky’s waistband. The two knives tucked at the nape of his neck were thrown, embedding themselves into a nearby tree deep enough that only Bucky would hope to remove them. Nowhere safe to tuck them on Bucky’s person or he’d have kept them. The rifle was tossed away as well, landing with a clatter against a tree. When he was certain the man wouldn’t be able to reach anything else he might be packing, Bucky dragged him to his feet.

“Who the hell are you?” The man wheezed, still having not caught his breath. Bucky applied just a little more pressure to the back of his neck, but it was enough to have the man shut up. Turning him out toward the people just getting back to their feet by the jet, Bucky shoved him until he began to march. They walked back out into the dying sunlight like that, Bucky holding the back of his neck in a vice of metal, the man’s arms raising by instinct.

When Victor spotted them coming out of the trees he moved to meet them halfway, the servants keeping Victoria back. Bucky was glad to see that they had formed a ring around her and two men were rushing to remove Bobert and Carl from the jet.

Bucky heard running footsteps coming from the path through the trees and glanced over to see a squad of uniformed guards with weapons rushing toward them. Grinding his teeth together he thought through how many things were wrong with this situation.

Stopping several feet from Victor, Bucky held the man before him. The King had returned, all cold empty eyes and lifted chin. Catching Victor’s eyes, Bucky allowed him to see the disapproval clear in his face. This had been a shitshow and easily avoidable. He didn’t call him out here though. He knew enough to not give the king a dressing down in so public a place.

Turning the man over to the guards when they arrived, telling them where they could find his weapons in clipped cold words, Bucky glared at each and every one of the uniformed people until they each dropped their eyes. Someone had managed to get a shot off at their King, and if he hadn’t been there Victor would most likely have been dead. Where had they been? Why had the members of the royal family been allowed to depart the plane before there had been protection in place? How had this man gotten so close, with so many weapons? These were all questions that Victor should be asking.

Dodging around Victor before he could say anything to him, Bucky made his way over to Victoria. The adrenaline of the situation had completely erased his nerves, and without hesitation, he waved the servants away from her. Looking her over quickly he ground his teeth together at the blood trickling slowly down one of her legs. She’d scrapped a knee when she’d hit the ground, and her stockings were shredded.

“Let’s get you out of the open,” Bucky said, holding his hand out to her. She took a limping step toward him and slid her thin fingers across his metal palm. Another slow step closer and he had to reassess her condition. She shouldn’t have been limping that badly from a scraped knee.

His hackles were still up, he still felt exposed. It was enough to have him swinging her up into his arms, making sure to catch her skirt and hold it against her legs as he did. No need to flash her underthings to the world. Her soft squeak of surprise had him looking down at her. Her face had flushed at his actions, but her arms still went around his neck.

“I don’t know where I’m going, _Otrod'ye_.” He murmured. She pointed toward the path through the trees, and he strode in that direction. A small bit of him relaxed when he heard Bobert and Carl fall in behind him. By the time he’d reached the path, Patricia and Victor had caught up to him. He didn’t much care, he just wanted to get Victoria somewhere safe.

He felt like he didn’t take a full breath until they were behind the thick walls of the castle and he’d given care of Victoria over to a woman in a set of scrubs. They had a medical staff that lived with them apparently.

If that shooter had been aiming at Victoria, she likely would have been dead and he wouldn’t have been able to do a damned thing about it. His heart was beating so hard he thought it would break his ribs.

Later he would wonder why he cared so much, why he was so driven to see her safe above all else. After he was shown to his suite of rooms and left to settle in, he would stand under the spray of hot water in the shower and think about why his first thought had been Victoria instead of Victor. He was the king, the one with enemies. So why did Bucky assume that the sniper had been aiming at Victoria?

It frightened him to think that the connection he felt for Victoria was some leftover nonsense from HYDRA. He was so worried about everything that had happened that day that the pressure sensors in his hand acting up didn’t even register in his mind.

How had his life changed so quickly?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations  
> mudak - asshole  
> Otrod'ye - Brat


	5. Chapter 5

Bucky was standing in the bathroom staring forlornly at his filthy jeans when there was a knock on the outer door of his suite. He’d spent a long time in the shower, letting the hot water wash away some of the worries of the day. The shampoo and conditioner he’d found in a small basket on the counter had smelled of mint and not much else. The bar of soap was the same kind that had been in his shower in Romania. He loathed to put on his dirty clothes after scrubbing the day away, but he didn’t have any spares. 

The knock had Bucky grabbing the pistol off the bathroom counter and slinking out of the steam filled room. He was absolutely silent in his bare feet as he ghosted across the plush rugs and hardwood floors. Plastering himself to the side of the door, the pistol laid flat against his right thigh, he listened hard to what was on the other side. Carl came to attention on the other side of the door, red lights coming to life in its eyes. Bucky held his free hand up, palm flat, toward the robot. Carl stayed where it was, but the lights didn’t shut off. There were two heartbeats on the other side, both calm. Sucking a breath in through his nose, he recognized the perfume that Patricia May had been wearing, along with a cologne he couldn’t place. 

“Who’s there?” He called, keeping his tone and voice lose and light. It was the only part of him that way. He was still on edge from everything that day. Probably wouldn’t be able to relax entirely for days, if he ever did here in this sprawling castle. Carl’s presence in his suite had allowed him to relax enough to shower, but he’d prowled the room for nearly an hour before that had happened. 

“It’s Patricia May, You Grace. We have some spare clothes.” The woman’s voice was muffled through the thick door. 

“Who’s with you?” Bucky asked, thumbing the safety on the gun off. His arm whirred quietly as he clenched his fist. Carl lifted one arm toward the door, a small gun sliding out of its forearm. Bucky made a note to ask Victoria about how it always seemed to know what he needed it to do. 

“My name is Boros Sándor, Your Grace. I am assistant to the tailor.” The man’s voice was a low tenor, a thick Russian accent present. Bucky tapped the gun against his thigh as he thought. He didn’t know this Boros, but he’d met Patricia. Deciding to be cautious, Bucky ghosted across the room again, stashing the gun under the mattress of the bed. He was too jumpy to have a weapon in his hand around other people. Securing the towel around his waist more firmly, he returned to the door. 

Reaching the doorway again, Bucky pressed down on Carl’s arm. The robot followed the instruction instantly. The gun was gone, but not the lights when Bucky unlocked the door and swung it open. He didn’t like it, but it was rude to point a gun at your host. Even more so when they’d already been so gracious. 

Patricia stood in the hallway serenely. When Bucky turned his attention to the other man he found a brick house of a man. Topping six feet by a few inches if it was one, Boros looked like he was made of solid muscle. His head was bald, shiny in fact, and his face was freshly shaven. He wore simple slacks, a razor-sharp crease running down the front of them, and a rich green cotton button down. There wasn’t a spot on his outfit that strained over his body, it was all perfectly tailored. In his hands was a basket of clothing, around his neck hung a long yellow measuring tape. 

Bucky took a step back and held his hand out, motioning the two of them in. When they were in, he closed the door and had to force himself not to lock it. He felt vulnerable with it unlocked. Definitely too twitchy to have a weapon in his hand. Glancing at Carl before he turned, he found the robot had turned to keep the two new people in its line of sight. 

When he turned to the other people in the room he watched Patricia gulp before tearing her eyes away from his torso. A faint blush crept up her throat. Bucky filed that little bit of information away for later. Her attraction might be a useful tool in the future. When he glanced over at Boros, he found the other man giving him a once over as well, but there didn’t seem to be any attraction there. 

“Your Grace, I brought you fresh clothing. I didn’t know your size, so I brought an assortment. At some point soon I’ll need your measurements so that I may make sure you have proper clothing while you’re a guest here.” Boros’ voice did not match his body in the slightest, and Bucky figured he’d gotten a lot of crap for it in the past. Bucky gave him another looking over but eventually nodded slowly. He didn’t know what kind of clothing he was talking about, but Victoria and Victor were offering him shelter and safety, had gotten him out of a sticky situation that day. The least he could do is not make them look bad. 

“Not tonight. I’m too twitchy to have people touching me.” Bucky said, his heart kicking in his chest as he admitted to the weakness. But he had to warn them he was liable to hurt them if they got too close. 

Boros nodded and bowed before offering the basket of clothing. Careful not to touch him with the metal arm, Bucky took it and retreated back into the bathroom. He breathed out a sigh when the door was closed between them again. He didn’t know if he’d ever get used to people bowing and scraping to him like that. 

What the hell was Doom thinking, making him a Duke? It was ridiculous. He was a brainwashed assassin. Before that he’d been nothing more than a foot soldier during the war. Had started as nothing more than a poor boy from a poor neighborhood in New York. Doom would regret it soon enough, giving him all of this. He’d have a flashback, or a nightmare and would hurt someone and they’d either lock him away or send him on his way. 

Something about that thought had his heart kicking in his chest again. 

He ignored it as he dug through the basket. The only pair of briefs in the basket were too small, the rest were boxers. He left all of them in the basket. Three pairs of jeans to choose from, only one that were close in size. They fit… mostly. They were tight across his thighs and ass. But they closed and were just the right length. There was a black tank hidden among too small t-shirts. It went on, and Bucky had to sigh. Tight around his chest, but not overly uncomfortable. The button ups were too thin, his arm would shred the fabric the moment the plates shifted even a little. Only a sweater remained. It was cream colored, incredibly soft against his skin, and so thick it felt plush. Again it fit… mostly. Wasn’t tight across his chest or shoulders, didn’t strain over his arms, in fact, he had to shove the sleeves up to his elbows to keep them from falling over his hands. A perfect too big. 

Glancing in the mirror before he left the room, he finger-combed his hair back. He’d have to find a comb in this cavernous bathroom at some point. He had to admit he looked good. The dark wash blue jeans made the cream of the sweater stand out. Grabbing the basket he returned to the other room. 

Patricia and Boros had been talking quietly, a conversation that Bucky had been listening to as he dressed. It hadn’t been anything that he’d been interested in, mostly about fabrics and the like. Patricia’s eyes zeroed in on his thighs and her face heated again. Boros circled him once and then sighed audibly. 

“I did not do a good job of guessing your size I see. Forgive me, Your Grace. If you’d like I can go and see if I can find something in a larger size.” Boros said, bowing before Bucky. Trying to swallow his nerves, Bucky held the basket in his hands out to the other man. 

“They’re fine for now, Boros. Thank you. I don’t wear boxers and the button ups are too thin. The arm would shred them. I’m sorry.” Bucky said, feeling self-conscious about the arm. Boros took the basket, setting it comfortably against his hip. 

“What do you wear? So that I can make sure to follow your preference. And I’ll make sure to pick thicker materials for the shirts from now on.” Boros asked, his eyes dropping to the metal arm before returning to his face. Bucky shifted his weight to his other foot, resisting the urge to pull the sleeve down to cover the metal. 

“I wear briefs, large. I don’t often wear short-sleeved shirts. The arm is too obvious.” Bucky said, trying not to let his nerves get the better of him. It was starting to piss him off, this meek kitten thing that was happening with him. He knew, knew this wasn’t him, that it was the fear instilled in him from his time with HYDRA forcing him to be so skittish. His mind kept telling him these people wouldn’t attack if he said the wrong thing, but his body still flinched every time he spoke. 

“Very good, Your Grace,” Boros said. Patricia stepped forward, a tablet in her hands. 

“Before I leave, Your Grace. Will you be joining His Majesty and Her Highness for supper? It will be served in an hour. I can send someone to escort you to the dining room if you’d like.” Patricia asked, not looking up from whatever she was doing on the tablet. Bucky blanked his face as dread filled him. That was the last thing he should be doing right now. This connection he felt with Victoria was still a point of worry with him, and if he was this skittish around two people, it was a bad idea to be around even more people. 

“If it wouldn’t offend them, I’d prefer to eat in private,” Bucky said through gritted teeth. Patricia smiled and nodded. Like it was nothing to speak his wants and have them accepted. 

“Very good, Your Grace. I will extend your apologizes, and have supper brought to you when it is done cooking. Do you have any food allergies that I need to inform the chef about? I believe there is to be beef and lamb stew for supper.” Patricia asked, looking at him with a smile that he could only describe as ‘motherly’. It was getting harder and harder to keep his emotions to himself, harder and harder to not cower before these people. 

“No. I’m not allergic to anything that I know of. Stew will be fine, thank you.” Bucky said. A sudden knock on the door had him nearly jumping out of his skin. Patricia smiled and moved toward the door. While she was speaking quietly with the young woman at the door, Boros took a step toward Bucky. 

“Your Grace? Are you alright?” He asked, reaching out toward Bucky. 

It was the last straw. Bucky’s resolve broke and he jumped away from Boros, retreating until he had his back against the wall behind him. His right hand clamped over the wrist of the left and he stared at Boros with wide eyes. He had to swallow repeatedly and lock his jaw when he felt words trying to bubble up out of his throat. Patricia closing the door made him flinch, hard. 

“Forgive me, Your Grace. I meant no disrespect,” Boros said, bowing deeply to him. Bucky snapped. Seriously, there was only so much that the conditioning HYDRA had left behind could make him do. 

“Stop! You didn’t do anything wrong, it’s me! Fuck! I just don’t wanna hurt anyone!” Bucky snarled, slowly uncurling his hand from his wrist. He couldn’t bring himself to straighten all the way, so he just kept himself pressed against the wall. 

The two of them shared a look and when they turned back to him he saw understanding in their eyes. Not pity. 

“We understand, Your Grace,” Boros said. He turned, set the basket on the bed and disappeared into the bathroom. 

“We’ll let you rest, Your Grace. I’ll bring your supper to you as soon as it’s done.” Patricia said. Bucky studied her face and was surprised to find not a hint of fear there. Boros returned with Bucky’s dirty clothing. Setting the contents of the pockets on the end of the bed, Boros dropped the dirty clothes into the basket. Grabbing up the basket he headed toward the door. Patricia joined him, and they both stopped long enough to bow and curtsy to him before leaving. Bucky managed to pull himself together enough to go and lock the door after they had left. Carl had gone back into whatever stand-by mode it might have, the lights going dark. 

“Carl. Keep me in this room by any means necessary until the sun comes up.” Bucky told him. The robot responded to his voice, the lights coming back on and it turned its head to look over Bucky. 

“Order acknowledged.” 

Bucky was shaking again, the memories of his past curling up out of the depths of his mind. With precise movements, Bucky opened his backpack. He was surprised to find his latest journal laying on top of the rest. It had been on top of his fridge the last he’d seen it. 

No… that wasn’t right. Steve had had it in his hands when Bucky had come home that morning. How did it end up in his pack? 

Had it really only been that morning? It felt like a week had passed since then. 

Taking out the journal, Bucky went to the desk tucked against the wall and settled in the chair. There was a pen in a plastic organizer sitting there. He opened it to a blank page and began to write, this time about Victoria and everything that had happened then. 

***

Paris barely managed to keep his composure as the king dressed him down. He was the head of the guards, had been trusted with the task of keeping them safe within the grounds of the estate. Yet, a man with several weapons had gotten close enough to take a shot at Victor. If the Duke hadn’t been there, Victor likely would have been dead. And if the would-be assassin had been aiming at Victoria, not at him, she would have been dead. 

By the time the king had dismissed him from the study, Paris was seething. That moron had fucked it up. He’d been hired to scare Victor into assigning someone human as bodyguard to Victoria. A position that Paris would have taken for himself. He’d been trying to get closer to the princess ever since she’d returned from her capture with HYDRA. 

He wanted the throne, wanted the power and money that Victor had. Paris could care less about the princess, felt that she was too bold, too independent for her own good. Had plans to break her of those things once she was his wife. 

Paris kept his face as blank as he could as he stormed down the hallways of the castle. 

There was so much to do before he could go to bed. He needed to arrange to have the assassin killed in his cell, quietly. He’d probably have to do it himself, to make sure it got done properly. It had been difficult to convince the guards that they weren’t needed when the jet landed, even harder to smuggle that man into the estate and passed the Doombots that supplemented the human guards. 

Even though the assassin had been an idiot and had been caught, it didn’t mean that the plan had failed. Perhaps with a little thought, and some pushing by Paris, the king might yet put a new bodyguard on the princess. 

The thing that had Paris more worried than anything else was the duke. Paris didn’t know who the hell the king had been talking about. He knew that they had a guest in the castle, that this man was the duke that the king had spoken of. From what he’d gathered of what had happened on the airstrip, the duke was a fighter. Had single-handedly chased down the assassin and caught him. 

Paris pushed the worries away as he approached the princess’ private study. He knew she would be there at this hour, always spent time alone after supper. Approaching the door, he paused at seeing only one of her damnable robots standing next to it. Where was the other one? It didn’t matter, not really. The things made him uncomfortable. 

One of the princess’ maids come to the open doorway to halt his entrance and he waited for her. 

“Guard Commander, the princess is not feeling up to company right now.” The maid said, her German accent thick. Paris swallowed the urge to smack her when she didn’t bother to so much as incline her head to him. Forcing a smile, Paris laid it on as thick as he dared. 

“I simply wished to check on her. As well as offer my apologies for the traumatic incident at the airstrip. The guards that were assigned to the area will be reprimanded for their lack of care.” Paris watched the maid look him over before disappearing back into the room. When Paris moved to follow, the robot next to the door moved as well. It was slight, but when Paris looked over he saw the robot was staring directly at him. It always sent a thrill of unease up his back with these buckets of so much scrap regarded him like that. 

His hesitation due to the robot gave the maid enough time to speak softly with the princess in the room and return to the door. 

“Her Highness offers her apologies, but she’s really not up to company. She thanks you for your concern, but would very much prefer to be left alone for now. She was injured, and the pain is making her unfit for company.” Paris’ heart skipped a beat at the maid’s words, and before he knew it he’d pushed past her and into the room. He found the princess propped up on a couch, pillows under her knee. She was wearing soft pajama pants and her hair was loose around her shoulders. Paris didn’t know if he kept the disdain off his face at the look of those pants. No woman should wear such things, and he’d make sure to burn every pair of them she owned when she was his. 

“Your Highness!? You were injured? Are you going to be okay?” He asked, trying to sound concerned more than angry. Perhaps instead of using the fast acting poison, he’d chosen to end the assassin, he’d use something more painful and slow. He had been very clear that the princess was not to be injured in any way. 

“Commander Paris. I will be fine in a week or so. I twisted my knee. I am very sorry to worry you but I really would prefer to be alone right now.” Victoria said. Paris itched to slap her for her insolent tone, but he bowed instead, using the action to hide the rage in his eyes. 

“Forgive me, Your Highness. I was simply worried about you. I will allow you to rest, and I hope that if you need anything you ask.” Paris turned on his heel when Victoria made a soft affirmative noise and strode from the room. He kept his eyes directed away from the maid, unsure if he’d managed to keep his emotions off his face. 

The maid turned to watch him leave, disgruntled by his forward behavior toward the princess. Wondering about the rage in his face when he’d turned toward her. Letting it sit for the moment, Kathrine went back to the chair she’d been in before and took up her knitting, tossing her wealth of blonde hair behind her shoulder. The princess had picked up her tablet as soon as the guard commander had turned away. 

“So the duke is a handsome man,” Kathrine said softly, her lips lifting into a smirk when the princess spluttered. Watching Victoria through her lashes, she couldn’t help but giggle at the blush spreading over the princess’ face. 

“Yes, he is. He’s also a very kind man who’s been through hell.” Victoria said, going back to the article she’d been reading. Katherine's giggle had unwound a knot in Victoria’s chest, and she was finally able to relax. She’d been so worried that others would not see Bucky in a kind light. 


	6. Chapter 6

Victoria woke with a start. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her knee was throbbing and her thin tank top was stilling to her skin with cold sweat. Carefully propping herself up on her elbows, she looked around her darkened room. The only light came from her alarm clock, glaring bright as the sun, reading 3:00 am, and the twin pinpoints of red from Bobert’s eyes. 

Trembling, she waved a hand at Bobert and it came to the bed, carefully helping her sit up, or as carefully as a robot could. She was used to the cold touch of the metal on her skin, had only had her Doombot guards in her room when she slept since she’d returned. Her father had even consulted with Tony Stark under a false name to help with the limited AI installed in the two bots that were his daughter’s last line of defense. 

Victoria sat at the edge of the bed and looked around, wondering what had woken her so suddenly. Her hands shook, but she still managed to open the bottle of painkillers sitting on her bedside table and swallow down two of them. She was about to lay back down and try to sleep when it came again. 

A broken and horse scream echoed in through the door to her suite. A scream that she heard in her own nightmares. 

Bucky. 

Ignoring the pain in her knee, ignoring the fact that she had on a thin tank with no bra, Victoria launched herself to her feet and ran toward that scream. She made it three steps before Bobert scooped her off her feet and carried her out of her door and down the hallway. 

Victoria hadn’t know Patricia had given Bucky one of the unused suites in the Royal Wing. Hadn’t known that he was so close when she’d hobbled to bed. Bobert and her passed her father on the way to Bucky’s room. His dressing gown was open over pajama pants and a bare chest. Something she’d seen often enough when her own screaming nightmares had woken him. He fell in step next to the swiftly marching robot, a set of keys in his hand that Victoria hadn’t noticed jangling in his hand. 

The door to Bucky’s room was locked, but Victor had it open in short order when Victoria had cried out as the sounds of Bucky’s broken voice reached them through the door. He was begging in Russian, begging them not to hurt him anymore. When the door open, Victoria threw herself out of Bobert’s arms and scrambled across the large room toward the bed. 

“Bucky, wake up. You’re safe,” She crooned as soon as she’d reached the bed. She had thought she was far enough back to not register as a threat, but she’d been wrong. Crying out at the sudden movement, she found herself pressed to the floor with Bucky over the top of her. His flesh arm digging into her throat. 

Frantically she waved her father and the robots off, her right hand reaching up and cupping the back of Bucky’s neck. A gentle touch, trying to keep her body lax as he snarled at her in Russian. 

“ _ Who are you _ !?” Bucky’s voice rattled in his chest, his eyes pale chips of ice in his face. It was only then that she noticed the room was still brightly lit. He slept with the lights on. He also slept in a thin black tank that strained around his chest, and dark washed jeans with the fly left open. Victoria tore her eyes away from where the patch of dark curls was framed by the brass teeth of his zipper, a blush heating her face even as she tried to speak passed his arm. 

“Soldier, stand down. I am not a threat.” She wheezed. Her vision was beginning to go spotty from lack of oxygen, her focus narrowing down to the screaming of her knee and those incredibly pale eyes over her. Bucky only reaction to her words was a harsh scoff in her face.

“Buc..ky… It’s… Victoria. It’s  _ Otrod’ye _ … please… I can’t… breathe.” The hand she’d been using to hold the robots and her father back fell to Bucky’s shoulder. Still, he didn’t react, the pressure of his arm only increased cutting off the last of her air. Bucky swam in front of her, and the pain of her knee disappeared. The only thing that was left was an intense pressure around her left ring finger and his eyes glaring down at her. 

Air suddenly poured into her lungs, and she had to blink several times to clear the spots. She found Bucky slumped against the wall on the other side of the bed, a dent in the plaster above where he was. Where he’d slammed into the wall after Bobert had torn him away from her. Rolling to her side, she curled her knees into her chest and coughed weakly, trying to relearn how to breathe, even though she wanted nothing more than to go to him again. 

Her father’s angry voice finally penetrated through the fog around her mind, and she was able to sit up enough to see that Victor was standing over a cowering Bucky. When his words of reprimand reached her anger overtook the fear and sadness. 

“Enough! Papa!” She cried, throwing herself into another fit of coughing. When she could speak again, her voice was as hoarse as Bucky’s had sounded. “Did I not attack you when I first came home? Did we not decide that my maids would not sleep in my suite any longer for their own safety? You cannot be understanding of me and condemn him for the same actions! He has spent seven decades in those bastard’s hands, I spent three comparatively easy years.” 

Victor stomped over to her, anger in every line of his body. But his hands were gentle as he lifted her and took her over to the chair in front of the mantle. Settling her into it, he paced to the door they’d left open in their rush into the room. The servants that had gathered out in the hallway bowed or curtsied to him and dispersed at the thunderous look on his face, even before he’d slammed the door closed. 

Victoria turned to look over at Bucky to find him carefully getting to his feet. His pants had ridden low on his hips and she had to tear her eyes away when she spotted dusky flesh in among the curls there. Gulping and pressing a hand to her throat, she desperately fought down the blush that was trying to creep up. It was more than she had seen of any man in a very long time. Since she was with HYDRA in fact and had seen Bucky completely naked on a regular occurrence. The Soldier had had no concept of propriety. 

“Victoria, I understand what you are saying, but he attacked  _ you _ . Forgive me if I am reluctant to show compassion to anyone who does so.” Victor snarled as he returned to loom over her. Sighing, Victoria ignored his attempt to intimidate her and carefully lifted her leg enough to prop her foot up on the coffee table. She could hear Bucky’s harsh breathing from the other side of the room. 

“Papa. Enough. I don’t want to hear it. As far as I’m concerned the matter is closed and Bucky is forgiven. Please, if you’re going to continue to loom over me, I’d prefer it if you’d just go back to bed. You’re making me nervous.” Victoria waved her hand at her father and then proceeded to ignore him. Her hands moved to her leg, her thin fingers carefully rubbing at the tense muscles of her thigh. She should probably go back to the infirmary and have them look it over again, but she loathed to do so. If Bucky knew that he’d aggravated her injury he’d be worse than her father and would more than likely avoid her. It wasn’t something she wanted. 

“ _ Otrod’ye _ . Your father is right. I’m… a danger to everyone here.” Bucky’s soft voice had Victoria turning her head to glare at him. He was standing there still, though he’d done up the fly on his jeans while she was arguing with her father. He looked so defeated, his hands hanging limply at his sides, his head down so his hair was hiding his face from her. Spitting out a crude word, Victoria waved Bobert away from Bucky, where the bot had still been standing between them. 

“I’ll not hear another word of it out of you, either, James Buchanan Barnes! You are one of the two people in this world that I feel safe with, and I’ll not have you blaming yourself for me being too slow to stop you!” Her words had her father slumping onto the couch across from her chair, and Bucky’s head snapping up to look at her with horror clear on his face. It took only a moment for the horror to be replaced with something else. A thunderous expression filled his face as he stomped over to her, or as much as he could in bare feet. She watched her father tense up as he neared out of the corner of her eye, but she once again ignored him. 

“ _ Otrod’ye _ ! What is wrong with your leg!?” He demanded, Russia thick in his voice. She hadn’t heard that voice, or that tone since she’d been with HYDRA. It made a shiver run up her spine, but she swallowed the jittery panic that tried to rush it. It was just a reminder of those dark days, nothing more. 

“I twisted my knee on the airstrip. It will be fine in a few weeks. I simply aggravated it when I ran in here.” Victoria hedged, not willing to tell him that when he’d knocked her to the ground she’d felt something pull hard in her knee. He was feeling enough guilt at his actions as it was. He flicked his left hand at her before kneeling at her side. The metal hand was gentle as it prodded at her knee, which was now swollen enough that the ace bandage wrapped around it was beginning to pinch. 

“You lie to me,  _ Otrod’ye _ .” Bucky snarled, his hands dropping away and standing to his full height over her. Suddenly she was sixteen again, staring down the Winter Soldier as he was shoved into her cell. Her heart was thumping hard in her chest, but she still narrowed her eyes and lifted her chin in defiance. 

“Victoria, darling. Come back now. You’re home. You’re safe.” Her father’s voice broke the illusion and she was able to take a deep breath. Bucky hadn’t moved, but the way he held his body had shifted. He was Bucky once again, and not the Soldier. It allowed her to relax once more. 

“Sorry, just a strong memory.” She murmured, never breaking eye contact with Bucky. There was still anger in his face, his eyes still narrowed, but he had softened with her father’s words. They stared at each other for several long moments before he heaved out a sigh and walked away. Victoria turned in her chair to watch him disappear into the bathroom and deflated. 

“Victoria, you should return to the infirmary. I can see how swollen your knee is.” Her father murmured. She looked at him and saw only love in his expression. Sighing, she rubbed at her leg above where it hurt. 

“They will tell me to ice it and to stay off it. They will try once again to insist on crutches.” She replied softly, dropping her eyes to stare at her purple toenails. One of them was chipped. She’d have to have Kathrine repaint them soon. 

Bucky returned before her father could say anything else, the glass from the bathroom in his hand. He offered it to her, and she gladly accepted, knowing the cool water would soothe her throat. The tips of his hair were dripping water, and his face was damp. He must have splashed water on it. 

“Victoria, you should listen to your father.” Bucky sounded so defeated, and Victoria didn’t know what she could do to make it different. Sipping at the water in her hand, she stared at her toes, trying to think. But she was tired, and her leg hurt and her mind didn’t want to focus. She didn’t notice her father’s shrewd eyes flicking between her left hand and Bucky’s. Where both of them were rubbing at their ring fingers. Didn’t notice them widen as understanding dawned, or perhaps simply an idea grew in his mind. 

Feeling suddenly defeated, beaten and broken down by the events of the past twenty-four hours, Victoria leaned forward and set the glass of water down on the table. A fine trembling set into her hands and she blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears away. But it was too late and too much. The tears spilled over and she pressed the back of her hand to her mouth to keep the sobs in. 

When hands took hers, she had a hard time focusing on Bucky’s face. Where he was crouched down in front of her. Neither of them saw Victor carefully slip from the room, a grin on his face. This was more than he could have ever hoped for, that his daughter would find her soulmate after all these years. He could hazard a guess as to why they hadn’t figured it out yet. Bucky’s missing arm would have weakened the connection between them, but perhaps with time and patience, that connection would grow once more. Soulmates were so incredibly rare in this world, and he opted to keep his musings to himself for now. Let them learn to love without the weight of the fates hanging over them. He knew enough of soulmates to know that forcing them together was the worst thing possible. 


	7. Chapter 7

Bucky was nervous.

He was sitting at the desk in Victoria’s office, waiting for Ross to initiate the video call they’d agreed upon. It wasn’t something that Bucky truly wanted to do, but he knew it was something he needed to.

A whirring in his left ear made him take a deep breath and try to relax. It wasn’t the first time his arm had recalibrated. In fact, it had happened so often that Bucky had been forced to take off the cream sweater. He liked it too much to allow the plates to shred it. 

Boros had brought him another basket of clothing that morning, but Bucky had opted to wear the same sweater as the night before. The thick fabric made him feel less exposed and uncomfortable. Though now he wore a pair of briefs under black jeans that fit more comfortably. He’d grabbed the first tank top his fingers had touched, a white one today. A thick brown belt wasn’t exactly necessary, but he’d liked how it looked so he’d worn it. 

It was strange to him, this freedom to wear whatever he wanted. Even after the two years since he’d broken from HYDRA, it was still strange. The clothing that he’d been wearing were from churches that gave out free clothes to the homeless, or from the bargain bins at second-hand stores. He spent as little money on them as he could manage, and hadn’t really given any thoughts to what they had looked like. The only things he’d ever spent real money on were his briefs and his shoes. He’d gone commando under the leather pants HYDRA had dressed him in; they didn’t care if he chafed against the zipper. And his shoes… well, he needed those to be of good quality when he ran. 

His hair, silky soft from the shampoo and conditioner he’d used that morning, slipping from behind his ear and into his face once again pulled him out of his dark thoughts. Grumbling, he tucked the stray lock back behind his ear and shifted in the sinfully comfortable chair behind the desk. 

Glancing away from the computer screen where it showed the Skype window, his eyes landed on Victoria. She was sitting on a grey leather couch on the other side of the office, her leg propped up on a chair, as she sorted through what appeared to be account books. If he hadn’t seen her break that morning, he never would have known she’d spent nearly an hour sobbing brokenly into his shoulder. When she’d finally collected herself, and Katherine had appeared at the door to inform her that breakfast was ready, she’d simply thanked him, patted him on the shoulder and had Bobert carry her from the room. 

Now she sat there, every inch the princess in her soft sundress and flat sandals. Her hair pulled up into a high bun. He could see the ace bandage peeking out from under the small blanket she had draped over her lap. Something Katherine had insisted on when the hem of her skirt had shifted to bare most of her thigh. He’d looked, of course, he had, but he hadn’t seen more than smooth skin before the blanket had covered it. 

Bucky cursed under his breath when the same bit of hair as before brushed against his cheek. Now he was wishing more than ever that he’d taken scissors to the shit at some time in the past. 

Katherine moving toward him with determined steps drew his attention from wishing murder on his hair. He caught only a glimpse of a hairbrush in her hands before she rounded the desk and disappeared into his blind spot. 

Fear streaked up his spine. The plates in his arm shifted rapidly as his fist clenched. Pushing away from the desk, Bucky had the chair spinning to face the woman. Before he could stop himself he’d caught her wrists in his hands and he was on his feet. The chair spun away and crashed into a bookcase behind him. Her soft gasp of surprise and the look of surprised fear in her face kept him from shoving her away from him. Instead, he took a deep breath and let go of her wrists. 

“I don’t like people in my blind spot,” Bucky said carefully, keeping his hands where she could see them even as he took a step away from her. The fear disappeared from her face, and she took her own step away from him. Not backing down, more giving him space. 

“Forgive me, Your Grace. I was only going to pull your hair back for you. It seemed to be annoying you.” Katherine said. Bucky studied her a little harder, realizing that fear had only been in her face because he’d startled her. His reaction to what she had done hadn’t upset her, and she was very relaxed standing there in front of him. Her brown eyes were calm and understanding.

“I’m sorry that I scared you,” Bucky said, suddenly feeling like an asshole for doing so. He backed away another step before he turned to retrieve the chair and check to make sure it hadn’t done damage to the bookcase. 

“Here, Katherine. I’ll do it for him.” Victoria said. Bucky glanced over at her and ground his teeth when he noticed she was about to get up. Before he could say anything though, Katherine’s voice cracked through the air like a whip. 

“Your Highness! Stay sat down! You are injured, and do not need to be putting weight on that knee!” Katherine stormed over to the other woman. Bucky watched as Victoria huffed and glared at her maid, but she made no argument. Instead, she rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Bucky. 

“Bucky, come here. I’ll do it for you.” Victoria said, waving him over to her. He stiffened, looking toward Katherine only to see a look of understanding on her face when she glanced at him. She knew that it wasn’t just having her behind him, it was the fact that he didn’t trust her. Katherine handed the hairbrush and hair tie in her hands to Victoria before going back behind the desk. Bucky watched her for a moment, feeling guilty before going over to Victoria. He may feel bad, but he did want his hair to stop being a nuisance. 

“Don’t fret, Your Grace. I understand. Victoria didn’t like anyone behind her when she first came home. I am not offended.” Katherine said. When his head whipped over to look at her, sending even more of his hair into his face, he found she was leaned over to the desk, clicking away with the mouse. Taking several deep breaths, Bucky tried to settle himself once more. 

“Thank you… Katherine. For your… understanding,” Bucky gritted out through his teeth, forcing the words out of his mouth. Katherine finally looked up at him and smiled, before going back to what she was doing on the computer. When Bucky finally made it to the couch, Victoria patted the seat next to her. Sitting on the edge of the couch, Bucky clasped his hands between his knees and looked to Victoria. 

Who promptly heaved herself to her feet, using the chair and his shoulder to balance on one foot. Bucky growled in the back of his throat, reaching up to grab her waist to force her back down. But she’d simply hopped over to stand between his spread knees, the hairbrush squeaking against the metal of his shoulder as she leaned her weight there. 

“ _ Otrod’ye _ !” Bucky barked, glaring up at her. Victoria huffed, her other hand landing on his other shoulder. A spark of something shot through him where her palm landed on his bare skin. He’d forgotten that he wore only a tank top until that moment. 

“It will be easier like this,” Victoria said, rocking a little on her one leg before she found her center and lifted her hands from his shoulders. Grinding his teeth, he used the grasp he had on her waist to jerk her down onto his knee. He trusted her to know what would be easier, but he also wasn’t going to risk her putting weight on that knee. This was the best compromise he could think of at that moment. 

“You need to keep off that fucking leg,  _ Otrod’ye _ , or so help me the next time you’re on my knee I’ll be tanning your ass.” Bucky snarled. It wasn’t until Victoria squeaked that he realized what exactly he’d just said. Looking at her with wide eyes, he found her face flushed a pretty pink, but he saw a wicked smirk on her face as well. 

“Promises, promises,” Victoria said before she slid her hands into his hair and pulled his head forward. It gave her access to the back of his head, and he ended up looking down at her sitting on his knee. She’d instinctively throw her bad leg over his other knee to keep the leg straight, and he carefully pulled it further up his thigh when it tried to slip off. His hands were shaking, and he had to focus to keep from clenching the left one in the back of her pretty black and white sundress. 

Lust was something that he hadn’t felt for a long time, but having her sitting there, that wicked look on her face when he’d threatened to spank her had it racing through his body. Her soft hands in his hair, tugging gently, wasn’t helping his fight to keep his dick from growing hard. Bucky took a deep breath in through his nose, trying to calm his jumping pulse, only to have to bite his cheek to keep from moaning. She was wearing some kind of soft, subtle perfume. It was floral and smoky. 

“There. All better now,” Victoria’s voice snapped him out of the haze her perfume had sent him into, and he carefully sat up to look at her. The brilliant smile on her face brought a small one to his own lips. He glared when she tried to stand again, and even though she huffed and rolled her eyes, that smile never left her face. 

Bucky slid his arm under her thighs and lifted her. Being careful of her knee, he turned her and set her on the seat next to him. Once he was certain she was stable in the seat he jumped to his feet and paced away from her. 

She’d thrown him off center yet again. His reaction to her was so strong, and so out of the blue that he was reeling with it. He was certain that he’d never had that kind of reaction to her before, knew that if he had… 

The files he’d collected about his program were detailed enough to let him known that if he’d ever shown any kind of sexual interest in her they would have tried to… breed them. It wasn’t an easy thing for him to think of, but he wouldn’t have put it past them to try to create more super soldiers through those means. 

A set of memories surfaced so quickly at that thought that it dropped him to his knees in the middle of the office. He rocked as they flooded his mind, pain following close on their heels as he pressed his fists into his eyes. His jaw locked closed on a scream and he panted through his nose as the room around him disappeared from his awareness. 

A dark country road and a tan car. Howard Stark calling him ‘Sergeant Barnes’ before Bucky had killed him. Strangling Maria with his flesh hand so he didn’t leave any marks. Ripping open the trunk and taking a briefcase with bags of blue fluid in it. 

Five people, four men, and a hard-looking woman. Standing in a semi-circle around him, predatory looks on their faces. Those same four strapped to tables as bright blue fluid ran down iv tubing into their bodies. Their screams filling the air as they thrashed. Being forced to fight one of them, and then chaos as he killed the doctor. Watching them be forced into the cryo chambers. 

More memories came ones that were already in his journal, of Victoria being forced to watch them torture him. Punishment for being disobedient. Her eyes burning with hate and tears as he was shoved to his knees at her feet and beaten. Her screams of fury and hatred the first time they’d strapped him into the chair and made her watch them wipe his mind. They beat her as well, but he could take more, could heal from worse. So they turned him into her whipping boy. 

Victoria’s voice came, calm and firm. So different from the screaming in his mind that he had to focus on it. 

“Bucky. Come back now, Bucky. You are safe. Come back now.” It called through the pain and blackness and he followed it out of that pit. He found himself sitting with his back to a corner of the office, Victoria standing several feet away, leaning heavily against Katherine’s side. She was speaking softly, calmly to him. The voice of an angel, calling him out of hell. Lifting his head, he thumped it back against the wall and met her gaze. 

“Thank… you, Victoria.” He croaked. His throat hurt, and he suspected that he hadn’t been able to keep the screams in as well as he’d thought. Sighing, she nodded. 

“You’re welcome, Bucky,” Victoria said. She smiled a little wetly at him, and he noticed the tears on her cheeks. She’d been crying for him. 

Swallowing roughly, he slowly got to his feet. He felt old, his body aching as he moved. A sharp sting on his eyebrow had him lifting his fingers to touch it. They came away with a spot of blood and he knew he’d cut himself on his hand. 

Unable to trust himself at that moment, HYDRA too close to the surface in his mind, he watched as Katherine helped get Victoria settled back on the couch once more. Instead of looking at her, so small and vulnerable in her pretty dress, he bent and used the hem of his tank top to blot the blood away from his eyebrow before it trickled into his eye. It had already stopped bleeding because only a few drops came away on the white fabric. 

Feeling raw and exposed, Bucky went to the desk and pulled the sweater back on. Carefully shoving the sleeves up his forearms he tried to find some semblance of calm. What he found instead was a numbness as all of the emotions just bled out of him. He was bone deep tired. Turning to Victoria, he was caught up in her gaze as she studied him. Where he thought he would see pity he found only understanding and regret. 

Once again she patted the spot next to her on the couch and he went to her. Bucky couldn’t have stopped himself from going to her if he’d wanted to. His heart had jolted in his chest as if she held the end of a string attached to it. Blinking in confusion, even as he settled onto the plush leather of her sofa, Bucky examined that thought. 

But no. That was impossible. He’d never had a soulmate before, and even if by some miracle he did he doubted that she was it. She deserved someone who wasn’t as broken as he was. Who didn’t have seven decades worth of blood drenching his hands. Though if he was honest, it was more than that. He’d already had a lot of blood on his hands before HYDRA took him. 

“Bucky?” Victoria asked, pulling him from his dark thoughts. Looking up from where he’d been staring at his hands, he found she was holding a glass of water in her hands. She offered it to him and he carefully took it from her. His hand shook only a little as he raised it and took a drink. 

“I’m… sorry you had to… see that.” Bucky said haltingly. He cupped the glass of water between his hands, letting it rest between his knees as he stared at it. Victoria’s hand appeared at the edge of his vision. He watched it as she laid it against the metal of his forearm. She never flinched from his arm, never seemed to care that it was there. Treated it like any other part of him, and he had to wonder why she didn’t flinch at how cold it was. 

“I’ve had my own episodes, just like that. It’s how I knew how to bring you out of it.” Victoria said. Her fingernails were painted a pastel green, just the tips. Glancing down, he noticed that her toenails matched. He made the observation from a long way away, noting it without really thinking about it. 

“I meant… the chair… they made you watch.” Bucky murmured, raising the glass to take another drink. He made sure not to move his arm so he didn’t dislodge her hand. The sensors in his arm registered the warmth of it and it felt good. 

A trilling chime from the computer kept her from replying, and Bucky looked over at the desk. Katherine had retrieved the chair and was sitting in it. She seemed unaffected by everything that happened. But Victoria had just told him that she had her own ‘episodes’ as he had had. No wonder the servants were so calm around him and his issues. They’d already lived through it all with Victoria and had learned to be unflappable in the face of the struggle to regain one's self. 

“Deputy Ross, hello.” Katherine smiled sweetly at the computer. 

“Hello. Who are you?” Ross’ voice came from the speakers. Bucky expected crackling or static, but it sounded as if he were in the room. 

“My name is Katherine. I am a maid to Princess Victoria.” Her voice didn’t waver one bit from its pleasant tone, even in the face of Ross’ rudeness. 

“Oh. I see. Is Mr. Barnes there? I’d like to start the interview if possible.” Ross’ sounded pleasant, but it still set Bucky’s teeth grinding. There was no need to be so rude. 

Victoria squeezed his arm, and when he looked at her she smiled encouragingly at him. He returned the smile as best as he could, even if he knew it didn’t reach his eyes. Leaning forward, he set the glass of water on the table in front of him. Bucky patted her hand softly before he stood, bracing himself for the interview to come. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:   
> Otrod'ye - Brat


	8. Chapter 8

Bucky came around the desk and into view of the camera just as Katherine opened her mouth, a mutinous look on her sweet face. Laying his flesh hand on her shoulder gently, he drew her attention to him. 

“It’s okay, Katherine. I’ve got it from here.” Bucky said, not bothering to look at Ross. Katherine closed her mouth, her sharp jaw setting as she stood from the chair. That mutinous look never left her face, even as she stepped back a little and curtsied smartly to him. 

“Your Grace.” Bucky knew that was one final jab at Ross. It left him smirking, even if he had to fight not to roll his eyes. Why was he cursed to always have stubborn blondes around him? 

Putting that thought away to examine later, Bucky sat in the chair and pulled himself up to the desk. Only when he’d settled did he turn to look at Ross on the screen. Ross was standing in what looked like a command room, the one that Bucky had glimpsed the day before in Berlin. He had the same grey suit on, and he looked haggard. But it was the two men standing behind him that had Bucky tensing up. 

Steve was there, looking just as tired as Ross, and in the same clothes as the day before. He’d lost the leather jacket at some point though, leaving him in a t-shirt that was a size too small. There was scruff on his cheeks and dirt on his arms. He hadn’t even gotten in a shower, and Bucky had had two since the last time they’d seen each other. Tearing his eyes away from Steve, pushing away the tangle of emotions that seeing him brought to the surface. 

His eyes landed on the dark haired man next to him. Stark. With the memories of what he’d done to this man’s parents so fresh in his mind, looking at him was difficult. Even more so because looking at him was like seeing Howard all over again. There was a softness to his face, something that Bucky attributed Maria. He, at least, had changed his clothing since the day before. Today he wore a pair of dark jeans and a t-shirt with some band logo he didn’t recognize on it. He had a pair of red tinted glasses on. 

“Mr. Barnes. Good morning.” Ross said, glancing off camera when a blonde woman walked up to him with a file. He took it but didn’t look at it. 

“Bucky, please. Mr. Barnes was my father,” Bucky said. Looking away from the computer, he smiled at Katherine when she set the glass of water on the desk, along with a pad of paper. She curtsied again and then left the room. Before she closed the door she shooed Bobert and Carl into the room. Victoria was wrapped up in her work and appeared to feel no rush to leave the room. Bucky took a deep breath and turned back to the computer. Ross looked exacerbated, but he smiled nonetheless.

“Bucky, then. I’ve spent all night interrogating the man who was posing as Dr. Broussard. The real doctor was found around midnight in the bathtub of his hotel room. It wasn’t pretty.” Ross said. Bucky nodded, figuring as much. 

“It’ll take weeks to get that smell out of my suit.” Stark piped up, crossing his arms over his chest with a huff. Both Ross and Steve gave him a look and he pouted like a child but closed his mouth. 

“What did you get out of him?” Bucky asked, grabbing a pen out of the organizer on the desk. He saw Ross stiffen on the screen, affronted. “I can’t give you any information about why he would frame me if I don’t know what he said.” Bucky groundout. 

“His name is Helmut Zemo. He’s from Sokovia. His family died there. Wife, father, and son all died in the attack.” Ross said, flipping the file in his hand open. Bucky wrote down the name, but couldn’t place what this man had against him. 

“I’ve never been to Sokovia. What’s he got against me?” Bucky asked, trying to parse it out. There was no motive, no reason why he’d target Bucky. 

“Nothing, apparently. From his ravings, he’s got nothing against you personally. According to him, you were just going to be the weapon he used to tear the Avengers apart. That was his goal. To bring the Avengers down from the inside.” Ross said, throwing a glare over his shoulder at the two men standing behind him. 

“How’d he figure I could do that?” Bucky asked, confused. If he didn’t know him so well, no matter how he denied it, he never would have picked up on the tension riding Steve at the turn in the conversation. 

“He wouldn’t be specific. Only told me to ask you about December 16th, 1991.” Ross said, returning his focus to Bucky. 

Bucky’s heart stopped in his chest, before starting again at a galloping speed. The Starks. 

“I think I know how he figured I’d tear them apart,” Bucky said it slowly. But the horror didn’t rise more than a fine tremor in his chest. The numbness he’d felt before smothered it. 

“How?” Stark asked, his pout gone. Replaced by the look of a man with a shrewd mind and endless curiosity. Bucky looked at him before taking a deep breath and said the words. 

“I killed Howard and Maria Stark,” Bucky said. Stark jerked like Bucky had slapped him, but Steve didn’t react. 

“My parents died in a car accident.” Stark bit back. His hands were fists at his sides, his chest heaving in anger. Sighing, Bucky took a drink of the water and sat back in the chair. The weight of what he’d done, the faces of all the people he’d killed trying to crush him. 

“An accident that HYDRA ordered me to stage. No witnesses, no one to know it was anything other than an accident.” Bucky said, sounding as defeated as he felt. He didn’t look up at the screen, waiting for the explosion to come. Simply waited for it while staring at his hands resting against the desk in front of him.

It came in the form of three hissed words from Stark. 

“Did you know?”

When Bucky looked up, Stark had rounded on Steve and was glaring up at the taller man. Bucky could see murder in his eyes and in the way he stood. 

“I didn’t know it was him,” Steve said. Bucky could see the lie in his face. And apparently, so could Stark. 

“Don’t bullshit me, Rogers. Did. You. Know?” Stark hissed, taking a step forward and gripping Steve’s wrist. Steve didn’t do anything to stop him, simply stood passively as Stark got in his face. It took a moment for Steve to reply, a moment that had emotion finally breaking free of the numbness that had taken over Bucky. 

“Yes.” 

Stark took a fast step away from Steve, his hand dropping to his side. Rage filled Bucky, and he set the glass in his hand down on the desk sharply. Drawing Stark and Steve’s attention back to him. 

“Steven Grant Rogers! What the fuck!?” Bucky snarled. Hope flared in Steve’s eyes and it only made Bucky angrier. “What the fuck were you thinking!? He’s your fucking teammate and you didn’t tell him about his parents?!” 

“I was trying to spare him! As far as he knew, they died in a car accident! I didn’t want him to know they’d been targeted by HYDRA!” Steve yelled. Bucky slumped back in his chair, grinding his teeth and trying to keep from breaking Victoria’s desk. 

“I know that Howard was your friend, Steve. He was mine too. But we both know you weren’t trying to fucking spare Stark! You were being selfish and not wanting to face the fact that I’m a fucking MONSTER!” Bucky had tried to keep his voice even, but the volume had risen throughout so that the last word was nearly bellowed. A soft gasp from the other side of the room drew Bucky’s eyes, but he quickly looked away at the horror on Victoria’s face. At least she knew now. 

“Why did you do it?” Stark’s voice was tight with rage, and Bucky saw his own death in those eyes when he met them. 

“They ordered me to. There was a case in the trunk of the car that they wanted. I was to get it and leave no witnesses.” Bucky said. He never broke eye contact. It felt like a cop-out, ‘I was just following orders’. It left a sour taste in his mouth, but it was the truth. But Stark… softened wasn’t the right word. Perhaps it was more… redirected the rage toward something else. 

“What case? What was in it?” Stark asked, reaching up to run the tip of his finger over the side of his glasses. Bucky saw glowing blue text appear on the lenses. More than glasses then. 

“Super Soldier Serum. From the files I managed to gather from the safe houses I knew of and the files that were dumped onto the net, I managed to piece it together. Howard had managed to replicate the serum from Steve’s blood. Some guy named Stane found out about it and went to HYDRA. Offered them the serum in exchange for killing the Starks. The files didn’t say why he wanted them dead.” Bucky took another drink of the water to wet his suddenly dry throat. The name Stane had Stark reacting like he’d been hit again, and Bucky knew there was something more to that. 

“Obadiah… went to… That fucking bastard put a hit out on my parents?!” Stark yelled, his hands clenched into fists again. Bucky sighed, knowing that the next part was going to hurt more than anything else. He felt bad for Stark, for all the crap that he was piling onto him, but he deserved the truth. The whole of it. 

“Not just your parents. I remember hearing him screaming at Pierce. He was upset that you were still alive. Apparently, he’d expected you to be in the car with your parents.” Bucky said, his voice tired even to his own ears. Stark rocked back on his heels, a look of horror on his face before he turned sharply and stormed away. Bucky sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on. 

“What did HYDRA do with the serum?” It was Ross again. Bucky had almost forgotten he was there. Taking a deep breath, Bucky sat up straighter in the chair and began to explain about the base in Siberia. About the other five Winter Soldiers. Warning Ross about how dangerous they were. When Ross asked the location, Bucky rattled off a longitude and latitude that he didn’t even know he knew. Ross scrambled to write it down and then assured Bucky that they would take care of it. 

“If you could do me a favor while you’re there?” Bucky asked. When Ross hesitantly nodded, Bucky had to force the rest out. “There’s a chair in the middle of the room where the cryo chambers are. Turn it into so much scrap for me, please.” 

“I think we can do that,” Ross said and smiled. Bucky stared, shocked. This was the man ready to throw him in a cell and leave him to rot, and now he had a grin of such wicked enjoyment on his face that Bucky couldn’t fathom it. 

“If there's… if you manage to find any more information about… me. Could I get a copy? I’m… I still don’t remember everything.” Bucky asked it carefully, not sure he actually wanted any more information about what he’d been forced to do. But knowing that unless he knew everything, he’d always wonder. 

Ross studied him for a long time before he nodded sharply. 

“Thank you for the information, Bucky. This is helpful.” Ross said. Bucky nodded and reached to click the ‘end call’ button. But Steve stepped forward and Bucky had to sigh. 

“Bucky…?” 

“Not now, Steven. I am fucking pissed at you for the stunt you played, and to be honest I can’t handle the emotional bullshit that comes with talking to you right now. Not today. I’ll call you when I can. But for now. Stay. Away.” Bucky snarled before ending the call. As soon as the screen went black he slumped in the chair. He was so damned tired. 


	9. Chapter 9

Victoria watched Bucky slump in the chair, her heart aching for him. She remembered that feeling, the loathing of one’s self. Hers was from being the cause of the pain doled out to Bucky, the bruises and blood spilled when she’d lashed out after returning home. His was so much worse, so many more years of being forced to do horrible things. 

“You’re not a monster.” She whispered. His tired eyes lifted to meet hers and she felt her heart jolt in her chest at the look of tired defeat in them. The need to soothe him, to make him see himself through her eyes was so strong, even before he spoke. 

“You’re wrong,  _ Otrod’ye, _ ” His voice was a defeated at his eyes. 

“No. You’re the one who’s wrong. Do you think I do not know what they made you do? Do you think they didn’t whisper it to me? They saw how I trusted you, how I felt safe around you. So they threw what they had made you in my face in an attempt to break that trust. They failed.” Victoria said. The passion in her voice had Bucky opening his mouth, but she held up her hand to stop him. She continued only when he closed his mouth and ground his teeth together. “You did not even remember your own name, knew nothing about who you were that wasn’t what they told you, and you saved me. Long before you shoved me into that elevator and told me to go home.” 

“Victoria. You don’t… you can’t…” He stumbled over his words. Her heart lurched in her chest when she saw the tears fill his eyes. 

Surging to her feet, needing to go to him, she cried out as her knee folded under her, refusing to hold her weight. How he did it she didn’t know, but Bucky caught her before she hit the ground, before Bobert could even take a step toward her. The chair he’d been sitting in crashed into the wall behind her desk, and her computer monitor wobbled on the desk. 

Grumbling under his breath, Bucky carefully set her back on the couch. Kneeling, he took her leg over his knee and gently ran his metal fingers over it. 

“Bucky. Please, look at me. You have to understand, please.” Victoria pleaded, her eyes filling as pain shot up and down her leg. When his eyes turned to her they were hard chips of ice, pale as a frozen pond reflecting the sky. She met they solidly, letting him see the utter trust in her face. 

“You shouldn’t trust me,” he murmured, wrenching his eyes away from hers. Making an angry noise in the back of her throat, she reached out and poked him in the cheek. 

“They took a good man, tortured and brainwashed him, and sent him to kill. He had no choice, they did. They are the monsters.” She bit out the words, hissing when he prodded at her knee again. 

“Still my hands, Victoria.” His voice was soft, but there was no conviction in it. It made her huff out a breath and slumped back against the couch. She wanted him to understand, but she knew better than to push too far. It would only make him shut down, pull away from her. 

“Evil does not worry about being good.” She whispered. She didn’t know the origin of the quote, only knew that it was something one of her maids had said not long after she’d come home. When she’d hated herself, hated what they had almost turned her into. 

Bucky turned those eyes on her again, studying her face for several long moments before he gently set her leg aside and stood. The look on his face was enough to tell her that the conversation was over, but she wasn’t going to let it go. Not any time soon. 

“Come,  _ Otrod’ye, _ I’m taking you back to the infirmary. They need to take another look at that knee.” Bucky said. Victoria only glared at him. She knew she was being petulant, that she really should listen to him. Her leg hurt something fierce, but she still didn’t want to go. She didn’t like the infirmary. 

Bucky arched an eyebrow and wriggled his fingers at her when she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. 

“Victoria. Princess or no, if you do not come willingly, I will throw you over my shoulder and take you by force.” She gaped at him, but she could see the truth of the threat on his face. Could hear it in the way he said her name. The image came unbidden to her mind. Thrown over his shoulder as he strode down the hallway. The indignity of it made her sigh and take his hand. 

“No need to make threats, Bucky.” She griped, even as he drew her to her feet and lifted her into his arms. It was a heady feeling, having him carry her, but at least with her arms around his neck, she felt more in control of the situation. 

***

Victor found them just as they were coming out of the infirmary. The ligament that she’d strained at the airstrip the day before had torn fully, and the doctor had used nanobots to heal it. Bucky was still reeling, the idea of something like that was so far out of his realm of reality that he’d stood there and gaped when the doctor explained. 

Yet, the proof was right there next to him. Victoria, walking at his side as if nothing had ever been wrong with her knee. When he’d asked her how it felt while they waited for the bots to do their job, she’d said it itched a little. Ached a lot, but it wasn’t unbearable. He’d stood at her side, holding her hand as he watched the swelling recede, and the nasty purple bruise that had formed lighten and then disappear completely. The scab over where she’d bled had come off with a quick scrub of a damp paper towel. The doctor warned her to be careful, that the knee would probably be tender for a few days, but the nanobots would continue to be active for the next thirty-six hours before they shut down. 

“Victoria, darling. It’s good to see you back on your feet. I’m glad you finally went to see the doctors again.” Victor said. Bucky watched as he took her outstretched hands and kissed the back of each. He couldn’t help but smile at the love between them. It was obvious that Victor loved his daughter with everything in him. The affection was clear on Victoria’s face as well, as she smiled up at her father. 

“Bucky. How did the interview go?” Victor asked, falling into step beside Victoria, tucking her hand under his elbow. Bucky had to take a moment because Victor had turned such a welcoming and open smile to him that it had nearly rocked Bucky back on his heels. 

“It was… difficult. He was after the Avengers though, not myself. Wanted to use me as the weapon that would tear them apart from the inside.” Bucky said, his eyes following a servant as she passed them. She’d bobbed a curtsy without missing a step. 

“Well, that’s a relief at least,” Victor said and smiled again when Bucky turned a confused look to him. “He’s been captured, and I think it’s safe to say that means no one else is going to come for you.” 

“HYDRA isn’t gone, Victor. And they’ll come looking for me, even more so now that they know where I am.” Bucky said. Victor stopped at a door. Metal, heavy and thick, it had a biometric sensor next to it and no handle. Victoria slid away from her father when he patted her hand. Bucky didn’t hesitate to take her hand when she offered, and a jolt ran up his arm when her fingers threaded through his flesh ones. 

“It is true that HYDRA will want their weapon back. But they’ve come for Victoria a couple of times in the past, and learned the hard way that I give no quarter while protecting what is mine.” Victor laid his hand against the sensor and leaned down when a beam of light appeared above it. The door slid open with a hiss of hydraulics when the retinal scan was accepted. Motioning them through the door first, Victor followed them into the room. 

Bucky felt his jaw drop open when he looked around. It was… he couldn’t label that room if his life depended on it. There was a wall of monitors across from him, to the right he found what could only be a machine shop. One that was so futuristic that Bucky couldn’t identify much more than the standing toolboxes. To the left was what looked like a chemistry lab. 

Victor stepped around him and beckoned them to follow him as he made his way to the monitors. Bucky picked his jaw up off the floor when Victoria tugged on his hand, and let her drag him across the room. 

“Papa’s right. Even if HYDRA comes, they can’t have you back. We won’t let them.” Victoria said, finally dropping his hand to hop up and sit on the edge of the heavy wooden desk that sat in the middle of the room. Bucky just stared. He knew why they cared, but he didn’t understand it. Couldn’t bring himself to think even for a moment that he deserved any of this. 

“The first step to keeping them away is this.” Victor’s words brought Bucky’s attention to the red book in his hands. Bucky did rock back on his heels at the sight of that book, a cold sweat breaking out on his skin. When Victor held it out to him, Bucky took an involuntary step away. 

He wasn’t allowed to touch the book. 

Shaking his head, Bucky lifted a hand to rub at his forehead. His stomach rolled, and he felt his heart start to pound in his chest as the panic came rushing back in. A heavy feeling filled his chest, his limbs flushing hot then cold over and over again. 

He’d started to shake, his flesh hand lifting into his hair to clench into a fist as he fought the urge to drop to his knees, trying to use the pain in his scalp to steady himself. Could feel words trying to fight their way out of his throat. 

He would not comply. 

Pressure. The sensors in his hand registered pressure and warmth, and when he peeled his eyes open he found a delicate hand in his. A line of heat streaked from the fourth finger on that hand, up the arm and straight into his heart, where it tugged hard. Making his heart skip a beat. 

Bucky’s eyes went wide, even as his other hand fell from his hair to press to his chest. He could hear himself panting hard as he dragged his gaze up the arm attached to the hand in his. Victoria’s brown eyes were just as wide as his when he found them. 

“Bucky… Did you… feel that too?” She asked. Her hand was pressed to her own heart. He felt himself nod, even though his mind was blissfully blank. The next moment he had an armful of laughing princess. His arms lifted to clutch her to him, even as his brain finally started working again. 

He’d never had a soulmate, back before the war. Everyone said that you’d know if you did because you’d feel the string tugging on your hand. Could feel it tied there. He’d accepted very early in life that he didn’t have one, hadn’t ever felt either of those things. Yet he didn’t doubt this. There was no way to doubt the feeling of a string tugging on his heart, or the tears that were soaking into his neck from Victoria. 

A deep chuckle broke through the bubble that had surrounded the couple, and Bucky tore his eyes open to see Victor. He was leaned against his desk, a brilliant grin on his face. Victoria pulled away from him, and though he loathed to do it, he let her. When she simply tucked herself under his left arm and slid her arm around his waist he breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Congratulations, you two. I had wondered how long it would take you to realize.” Victor’s smile never wavered. Bucky lifted an eyebrow at him, even as he laid his hand over the one that Victoria held against his heart. His other hand, the one that throbbed with a line of heat down it, cupped her shoulder. He would wonder how the mechanics in his arm could feel something like that later, for now, he was simply basking in a moment of rare happiness. 

“Papa?” Victoria asked. The confusion in her voice couldn’t hide the joy that was there. Bucky turned his head and pressed a kiss to her temple. It was only then that he realized that without the heels, she was only about three inches shorter than him. 

“Let’s say I had a hunch. I really am very happy for you, Darling.” Victor said. Bucky’s eyes followed the red book as it dropped onto the desk as Victor straightened. The king came to them, cupping his daughter’s jaw and laying his hand on Bucky’s shoulder. Looking up at the taller man, Bucky tried very hard not to flinch under that touch. 

“Thank you, Papa,” Victoria said. Bucky relaxed, even if it was just a little bit when she tightened her hold on his waist. 

“Welcome to the family, Bucky,” Victor said, and Bucky felt himself relax that little bit more. Looking down at her when she turned to him, Bucky felt something that he hadn’t felt since 1944. 

_ Home. _ He was home. 


	10. Chapter 10

“I am sorry to interrupt this happy moment, and if I had any choice I wouldn’t. But we must deal with that book. It’s a chink in our armor that I’m not willing to let stand.” Victor said. Bucky sighed. Victor was right, even if Bucky wanted nothing more than to wallow in the feeling of peace and happiness he’d been floating in. 

“Papa!” Victoria said, her voice sharp. Bucky pressed another kiss to her temple before patting her hand. 

“He’s right, Victoria. It’s a weakness. What do you suggest we do with it?” Bucky asked, turning back to Victor. The woman under his arm huffed but didn’t seem inclined to remove herself from his grip. Bucky was okay with that, because now that he understood the connection between them he didn’t want to deny it. Even as he worried if he deserved it.

A voice from deep in his mind, the one that had been battered and broken by HYDRA spoke then. It was the voice of the man he’d once been, the Bucky that he’d been before he’d shipped off to Europe all those years ago. It whispered that line that Victoria had spoken to him in her office. 

‘Evil doesn’t worry about being good.’ 

It sent a shiver through him, a single high note of clarity that shattered another link in the chains HYDRA had wrapped around him. He knew he’d still have moments when he felt like an evil monster. Would still feel the guilt and regret for what he’d done. But at least now, he could place the blame for what had happened to him squarely where it belonged. 

He may be a monster, but bigger monsters had turned him into one and then had unleashed him onto the innocent against his will. 

“I think the best thing we can do is remove the weakness,” Victor said, offering the book to Bucky once more. Bucky locked eyes with Victor and swallowed hard, but Victoria’s presence at his side, against his heart gave him the strength to shove the programming aside. He could see his hand shake as he reached out to that book. Taking a deep breath, clenching his flesh hand into a hard fist, Bucky turned his face into Victoria’s hair to gather himself. She and her father stood passively, allowing him to work through it at his own pace. 

Her hair smelled floral, something tropical and rich. It was like the finest silk against his lips and cheeks. Bucky used those sensations to center himself. With his eyes closed, he could almost see the glowing line of heat down his arm. It was such a real sensation, was so present in his mind. 

Breathing her in, Bucky turned back to Victor, reached out and took the book out of his hand without hesitation this time. His heart kicked only once, but the panic fizzled in his chest when Victoria tucked her face into his shoulder and squeezed his waist. 

“Good.” Victor murmured before turning away. Bucky was aware of him moving around to the other side of the desk, but his eyes were locked on the book in his hands. Such a small thing, yet it held so much weight. It was, in essence, a user's manual to one of the most deadly weapons in the world. 

That’s all he had ever been to HYDRA, a weapon. Something they could point at their enemies and watch as the blood spilled. 

“Bucky, will you join me over here?” Victor’s voice made Bucky look away from the horror in his hands. Scanning the room, he found the king standing next to an open fireplace he’d missed when he’d first taken in the room. There was a small fire going on the grill. Gas powered from the smell. 

Glancing down at Victoria, he found her looking at him with a broad smile. When he went to pull away, she moved with him, and he couldn’t help but return her smile. She stayed there, under his arm as he crossed the room to her father’s side. Bucky was as reluctant as she was to let go, his metal hand still cupping her shoulder. 

“Papa?” Victoria asked, looking between her father and the fire. 

“Even though having that will help us remove the programming in your mind faster, you are my daughter’s soulmate. Thus you are my son. I will not allow the chance of someone getting their hands on it, and taking you away from us. I think the best thing we can do, is to toss that fucking thing into the fire and watch it burn.” Victor said. Bucky had to swallow at the sharp edge he’d taken on at that moment. He felt a little overwhelmed at having Victor claim him as ‘son’. He was nearly twice this man’s age, but when he looked into Victor’s face he saw a wisdom there that he didn’t possess yet. He also found a fire that made him glad that Victor was on his side. 

Breaking eye contact with the king, Bucky looked down at the book in his hands. He wanted this crap out of his head as soon as possible, didn’t even quite believe it was possible, but he couldn’t argue with Victor’s logic. They couldn’t guarantee it wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands, couldn’t say with certainty that someone wouldn’t use it to turn him into a weapon again. 

The sound of a bolt action rifle chambering a round filled his ears; the sight of a bullet hole in the side of a jet where Victor’s head had been a second before; blood trickling down Victoria’s leg. Someone had tried to kill his soulmate’s father not even twenty-four hours before. If Bucky hadn’t been there, Victor would be dead. 

Bucky flicked his wrist and sent the book into the fire. Someone was trying to kill his king, and Bucky would not give them the chance to get their hands on a weapon that wouldn’t miss. He didn’t watch it burn, instead, he turned hard eyes to Victor. 

“How did that assassin get close enough to take a shot at you?” 

***

Bucky was seething. 

They had no information on who’d sent the assassin because the bastard was dead. He’d been found dead in his cell that morning. When Victor had shown Bucky pictures of the body, Bucky had thought only for one moment that Victoria would balk. She’d instead pulled away from him for the first time to take a closer look at them. 

“How did he die?” Victoria asked. Bucky studied her and felt his heart clench. This was a piece of her he’d never seen, and damn if it wasn’t attractive. Her intelligence shown through bright and clear. He mourned for her innocence when she didn’t flinch at the pictures, but also knew it wouldn’t have lasted for long with him as her soulmate. 

“They’re still doing the autopsy,” Victor said. Bucky looked back at the pictures and shook his head. 

“He was poisoned,” Bucky said. He approached one of the monitors that had the pictures splayed over them. It hadn’t been hard to learn how to work the screens, watching Victor do it. Reaching out he tapped the one he was looking at. Pinching his fingers together he dragged them apart and the picture expanded. He pointed at the needle mark under the fingernail of the man he’d chased down the night before. 

There were no other marks on his body, not as far as Bucky could see in the pictures at least. He wouldn’t be sure unless he examined the body himself, checking the toes, gums, and eyelids. But the spot of blood that had welled under the nail told Bucky it had happened very close to the time of death. 

Victor’s hissed curse may have been in a language that Bucky wasn’t familiar with, but the tone was enough to tell him that he’d figured it out. 

“It was an inside job. Someone with enough power and influence to make the guards look the other way. Or someone who knows the workings of the guards well enough to slip him passed without them knowing.” Bucky said. Turning away from the pictures, Bucky paced away from the monitors, his mind racing. 

The wave of possessive fury shocked him. He’d been here for less than a day, knew the names of only a handful of people here. It wasn’t hard to understand why he felt like someone was trying to hurt what was his. 

Lifting his eyes from his feet they landed on Victoria. 

It didn’t matter that he was new here, this was his home, his family. Whoever was trying to hurt them, tear them apart, was going to regret it. 

“You don’t think…?” Victoria’s voice was hesitant and distant. Like she was thinking out loud more than actually asking a question. 

“Nonsense, Victoria. He’s been with us for years, his father was the Guard Commander before him. He would never do something like this.” Victor said, only glancing over at his daughter before returning his eyes to the screens. There was a video playing on the screen he was watching. Security footage from outside the assassin’s cell from the look of it. 

“Who?” Bucky asked. Moving over to wrap his arms around Victoria’s waist when he watched her shoulders slump just a little. Victor hadn’t meant to snub her, but he could see that she was put out at his tone. She leaned back against Bucky, her hands raising to rest against his around her waist. Bucky rubbed his cheek against the side of her hair gently, careful of her earring. 

“Stephan Paris. He’s the head of the palace guards.” Victoria said. Bucky could hear the smile in her voice. An unease he hadn’t realized was growing in him settled once she was back in his arms. Tightening his grip on her middle, he swallowed. 

It hadn’t been his unease that he’d been feeling. The soulbond was already trying to form, the thread that connected them tightening. It would only grow as they spent more time together. How strong it would grow depended on the couple. It made him worry, the knowledge that he was suddenly a way to get to her. To get to Victor. 

“It’s not possible. Not only has he been loyal his entire life, he’s intelligent enough to know that he’d be the first one we’d look at for this.” Victor said. Victoria tensed in his arms and Bucky could have snarled at Victor. 

“Then shouldn’t he be the first one we look at?” Bucky asked, his voice hard. When Victor turned to look at them, Bucky watched him realize what his words had done to Victoria. “If he’s intelligent enough to know we’d look to him, it’s not a giant leap for him to think that would be enough to convince us it wasn’t him?” 

“We could continue that line of logic on for eternity, talking ourselves into circles,” Victor said, but he at least looked like he was considering it now. 

“I don’t think we should take any risks. Everyone is suspect as far as I’m concerned. What would have happened if that sniper had been aiming at Victoria instead of you Victor?” Bucky asked. He stroked his thumb over Victoria’s stomach when she jolted at the thought. She didn’t relax, but she didn’t seem ready to bolt either. He could feel her pulse jumping under his metal palm, the sensors sensitive enough to feel the pulse above her belly button. 

Victor still didn’t seem convinced, and Bucky sighed. Turning his head he pressed a kiss to the side of Victoria’s head before he released her. Moving to stand in front of Victor, he pushed, hard. 

“I was too far away, Victor. The bots were still in the jet and there wasn’t a single guard in sight. I thought it. Even as I was dragging you to the ground, I prayed that all those servants surrounding her would be enough to throw his aim. I prayed that some tiny bit of training I’d given her while with HYDRA would be enough. My heart stopped in my chest when I realized I couldn’t save her. And I damned near cried in relief when that bullet hit the jet.” Bucky spits the words at Victor. Yesterday, hell an hour ago, he wouldn’t have had the balls to do it. He’d have referred to what Victor thought was best. But now. 

Now he knew what this connection between him and Victoria was. He knew what was driving him to protect her above all else. And he was done denying it. 

Victor’s face cooled, his chin lifted and his eyes hardened as he glared down his nose at Bucky. But Bucky could see the surrender under it all. He knew that Bucky was right, even if he was angry about it. 

“What do you suggest we do then, Duke Barnes?” Victor snarled. Bucky crossed his arms over his chest and looked back at the pictures on the screens.

“Let me loose. Give me permission to go after this bastard. You’re too close. You have connections, relationships with the people in the palace. I don’t. At this moment, as far as I’m concerned the only people who aren’t involved in this are in this room right now. Everyone else is suspect.” Bucky said, turning burning eyes back to Victor. He didn’t know what Victor saw in his face, but he swallowed hard. 

“Okay, Bucky. You have my permission.” Victor said. Bucky took a deep breath, letting the rage drop to a simmer in his gut. A zing ran down his spine and he found that he was excited. This was going to be a mission that he’d remember fondly in the future. When Victor turned away from him, Bucky spoke up. 

“I’m sorry, Victor. To push so hard. But I can’t lose her…” He whispered it. 

Arms slid around his waist and Bucky flinched. He forced himself to relax when warm breath spilled across the back of his neck a moment before soft lips pressed there. Even as Victoria kissed the back of his neck, Victor turned to look at the two of them. 

“Neither can I, Bucky.” Victor’s voice was just as soft. He closed the distance between them and leaned up to press a kiss to Bucky’s forehead. Bucky was shocked at the show of affection, and tears filled his eyes as Victor spoke against his skin. “We can’t lose you either, Son.” 


	11. Chapter 11

Once Bucky had gotten a hold of himself, using the handkerchief Victor passed him to mop the wetness from his face, he pulled Victoria to the side. He figured that this room was safe to talk in, that Victor wouldn’t have brought them here to discuss the book if it wasn’t. So this was probably the best place to do what he needed to do. 

Victor moved over to the other side of the room while Bucky drew Victoria over to the desk. Helping her to sit on the edge again, Bucky crowded into her space. His hands came up to cup her face and she smiled softly at him. It hurt, knowing that he was going to take that smile from her. 

“Victoria, you know that everything I do is to protect you? That you are my first priority?” Bucky asked. Even to his own ears, his voice sounded wrecked. His heart beat a hard rhythm against his ribs as he rubbed his thumbs over her cheekbones. Licking his lips, Bucky fought to squash the urge to kiss her. 

“I know that, Bucky. I’ve never doubted that.” Victoria said. When he was able to rip his eyes from her soft lips he found she was looking at his. Taking a deep breath, Bucky leaned in and pressed his forehead to hers, his eyes sliding closed. The weight of her hands against his waist made him shiver. Not just with the fear that every touch would hurt, but with a tangle of emotions that she brought on. Protectiveness, Lust, Want, Affection all wound together to have gooseflesh prickling over his skin at her touch. 

“They can’t know. I’m… Even without the book, I’m still dangerous. There’s other ways to make me do things I don’t want to do. If someone were to get control of me? They could use me to get to you, to get to Victor.” Bucky whispered. He didn’t need to open his eyes to feel her hands clench into fists in his sweater. This close to her, he could hear her heart stutter in her chest before beginning to race. 

“You… don’t want to tell anyone…” Victoria’s voice was small and the hurt in it was like a knife between his ribs. Jerking his head back, he stared at her. He knew he would hurt her, but the tear that spilled from her closed eye was more than he could handle. 

“No! Damnit,  _ Otrod’ye _ ! That’s the last thing I want! I want to stand in the middle of Times Square and scream it at the top of my lungs! I want the world to know that I have a soulmate and she’s amazing! But I am a liability to you and your father. Until they get this shit out of my head, it’s safer for the world to not know about us.” Bucky said it all in a rush, the pounding in his heart audible in the way the words wavered. His thumb caught the tear on its path down her cheek and he felt his heart break when her eyes opened. They were like dark pools, a brown so rich they blended with her pupils. Looking into them at that moment it was like he was drowning in pools of pain. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do, but this was the other way he could see to keep her safe for now. 

“I don’t want to admit it, but I know you’re right. It’s not fair though. I finally found you, and they are keeping us apart.” Victoria’s voice was tired. It was the only way he could think to describe it. Her words clued him into her thoughts though and he could have slapped himself for it. 

“Victoria, I’m not going anywhere. And I’m not saying we can’t be around each other. Only that the world can’t know about this,” Bucky said. Dropping one hand from her face, he lifted her left hand to press a soft kiss to her finger. Looking up at her through his lashes, he saw understanding dawn on her. The smile that split her face took his breath away. The urge to kiss her was so strong that he’d started to lean in to do just that when Victor’s voice sounded behind him. Bucky flinched, hard, and had to use every ounce of self-control he had to stop from reacting more than that. 

“Victoria, darling, it just means he’ll have to court your properly,” Victor said. Bucky could hear the smile in his voice. It made Bucky sigh. He’d relaxed so much that he’d forgotten that Victor was in the room. Taking a deep breath, Bucky locked eyes with Victoria. He wanted to kiss her, wanted to hold her in his arms and never let go, but her father was right there, watching them. 

Victoria didn’t seem to have the same issue, it seemed. Because her hands came up to grip two handfuls of the sweater over his chest and jerked him closer. The first brush of her lips against his was like coming home, and when she tilted her head and deepened the kiss Bucky sighed. Carefully, Bucky wrapped his arm around her waist, his right hand carefully cupped the back of her head, holding her close. He broke the kiss when her thighs spread and he had to stumble a step forward to catch his balance. She whined and tried to chase his lips but he tilted his chin and pressed a soft kiss to the tip of her nose. 

“No, Kitten. I could get addicted to that way too easy, and your father’s right. I wanna court you properly.” Bucky murmured. He didn’t know what it was about the scent of her, the feel of her under his hands, but he felt more himself than he had in a very long time. The anxiety, the fear, the horrible memories were still there. The paranoia would probably never leave. Yet, he still felt more steady in his own mind then he had since before he’d shipped off to join the 107th. 

“Okay, Bucky. If that’s what you want.” Victoria said, but still, she pouted. Rolling his eyes, Bucky took a step away from her. Victor was standing there with his arms crossed over his chest when Bucky looked. One eyebrow raised, a smirk on his lips, Victor looked pleased with something. 

“Well, your instincts are there at least. But you still have a lot to learn,” Victor said. He came forward and offered his daughter a hand. She glared at him for a moment before taking it and letting him help her to her feet. Bucky steadied her without thinking, cupping her other elbow gently. 

“What… do you mean… I have a lot to learn?” Bucky asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

“You’re my daughter’s soulmate. Will one day be her husband. That makes you a Prince and one day you will be King Consort to Latveria. You have a lot to learn to step into those roles.” Victor said. Bucky felt dread drop into his stomach at those words, but when he looked to Victoria it all melted away. 

He was ninety-eight years old according to the calendar, less than thirty in his memory, and he’d waited all that time for her to walk into his life. Bucky knew at that moment, he would do anything to see Victoria smile. 

***

Bucky didn’t like Guard Commander Paris. 

He couldn’t have said in any amount of words what it was about the man that set his hackles up, but he’d been on edge since Victor had introduced them. The Guard Commander had been invited to have lunch with Victor, Victoria, and Bucky. 

Paris wasn’t a particularly tall man, shorter than Bucky by a couple of inches. Leaner, built more on long lines than on bulk. His white blonde hair curled thickly and stopped just above his ears. Medium blue eyes set below straight brows. He wore a black turtleneck under a black blazer and slacks. Paris also appeared to be unarmed, or he had a weapon stashed somewhere that Bucky couldn’t spot the lines of it against the clothing. 

Victor had made the introductions, and Bucky had simply nodded to Paris. Victoria had given him a hastily hissed lesson on etiquette as they were walking the halls toward the garden they were eating in that day. Apparently, Bucky outranked everyone but Victor and Victoria. He didn’t need to bow to anyone but them. Victoria had promised to give him more information later. He didn’t have to thank the servants, but it was always better to be kind. That, at least, was something he was reasonably comfortable with. 

When they’d reached the table set for four in the garden, Bucky had stiffened. It was out in the open, with far too many places for a would-be assassin to hide. Victor had seen him go tense and pressed a button on his watch. Four more robots that looked like Bobert and Carl had landed only a moment or two later. The new ones were a darker shade of green than Carl, but that was the only difference between them. The six robots had formed a loose circle around the table, and Bucky had been able to relax just a little. Enough that he was able to sit at the table and eat like a human anyway. 

Victoria sat to his right, with Victor on her other side. Guard Commander Paris had taken the last seat a few minutes after they’d settled, looking ruffled. After Victor had introduced them, Bucky had kept an eye on Paris, as discreetly as he could. Catching his reflection in the bot’s shiny metal, or in the crystal pitcher of sweet tea set on the table. He didn’t look directly at him unless he was speaking to Bucky. Something that he seemed loathe to do. 

Bucky had to stop himself from stabbing Paris with his knife, twice, when Paris had sneered at Victoria. It was subtle, and he was certain that neither Victor or Victoria noticed it. In fact, he wouldn’t have seen it if he hadn’t been watching him so carefully. 

Victoria had disagreed with her father on the Accords issue that was looming, correcting him on something or another. That had been the first sneer. The second had been when Victor had asked Victoria’s advice about some dispute between two farmers. 

By then Bucky had the Guard Commander pegged. He’d seen it enough back in the forties, memories that were still a little vague in his mind. Paris didn’t like that Victoria had an opinion on anything, doubly didn’t like it that she’d actually offered said opinion when asked for it. 

Bucky knew enough about the man to dislike him at that point, and even though he continued to watch him, he went back to eating. They’d served sausage rolls with black pudding. Or that’s what Victoria had called them. Bucky didn’t know what black pudding was, but it certainly tasted amazing. He had three, alongside a nice green salad with some sharp dressing on it. The tea had been too sweet for him, so he stuck to water. 

In the lull of conversation, as the servants cleared away dishes, Paris turned his attention to Bucky. Bucky was leaned back in his chair, happily stuffed full of good food, carefully turning his water cup on the table top. He’d stayed out of the conversation for the most part, content to simply listen and watch. 

“So, Your Grace. What is it that you do for a living?” Paris asked. Bucky turned a skeptical look toward him before looking over at Victor and Victoria. The man couldn’t be serious. Victor’s mischief filled smirk and Victoria’s soft giggle told him they were responsible for this nonsense. He wondered for a moment what they were up to. Though if he was being honest with himself, it didn’t matter. This was the perfect opportunity to test the Guard Commander. 

“Before yesterday I was a sous chef at a restaurant. Before that, I spent a couple of years bouncing around from job to job. Before that, I spent seventy years with a terrorist group who used me for wetwork.” Bucky said. He had to admit that the smile he gave Paris may have shown a little too much teeth, but he didn’t bother to feel guilty. He had to swallow a chuckle, though, when all the blood drained from Paris’ face. The other man recovered quickly, and Bucky may have actually believed him if it wasn’t for the paling of his face. 

“Oh! Forgive me, Your Grace. I hadn’t made the connection when I heard your name.” Paris did an admirable job of hiding his fear, but Bucky could hear his heartbeat. Slamming away inside his chest. Bucky simply nodded and took a drink of water. 

The servants returned with dessert then, a lovely cherry cake with toasted almonds on top. Bucky couldn’t help but notice the piece set before him was bigger than the others. Apparently, the servants were learning that he needed more food than the others. The cake was amazing, and Bucky was more than pleasantly full by the time he’d finished. He knew he shouldn’t have eaten those last few bites, but he hadn’t been able to deny himself. 

Bucky sighed as he leaned back in his chair once more. Looking around, he knew why they’d had lunch out here. It was nice. The sun was warm, the breeze blowing through the garden brought the scents of roses and other flowers to his nose. There were birds in the trees, and he could hear what sounded like a rabbit in one of the flowerbeds. In the distance, just at the far edge of his hearing, he could hear dogs and horses. 

Paris setting his fork down drew Bucky’s attention and he focused in on the other man, even if he didn’t look his direction. He didn’t like the man, even a little bit. More than just because of how he viewed Victoria. It was this man’s job to protect Victor and Victoria. And he’d failed. Miserably. 

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, Your Highness, Your Grace, but I must return to my duties. Thank you for a wonderful lunch.” Paris said, getting to his feet and bowing to each of them in turn. When Victor smiled and waved him away, Bucky turned his gaze to the other man. Narrowing his eyes when the man threw a nasty look at Bobert, Bucky laid his napkin on the table. Brushing the backs of his fingers down Victoria’s arm, Bucky rose and followed the Guard Commander. 

“Let him go, Victoria. We gave him permission to hunt those who attacked us.” Victor’s soft voice reached Bucky’s ears, but he knew that they hadn’t reached Paris’. Ghosting after the man, Bucky wished he’d brought the .380 that was currently under the mattress in his room. It didn’t matter though. Paris may move like a man who knew how to fight, but there was no way he’d best Bucky. Not without being enhanced in some way. 

Waiting until they’d almost made it back to the palace, well out of earshot of anyone, Bucky finally spoke up. Focusing on Paris, Bucky noted every shift of his body language, listened to every beat of his heart. 

“Guard Commander? How did that man get close enough to take a shot at the king?” Bucky had to bite his lip to stop himself from grinning in victory when Paris jumped. His heart stuttered in his chest for several beats, and every muscle in his body went rigid. A rather strong reaction to being startled. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that I just now realized that chapter 9 was missing. I've fixed it, and I suggest you go back and read it. I'm very sorry for not seeing that it was missing.

Bucky’s focus didn’t waver as he braced his feet and crossed his arms over his chest. Paris had frozen, not even breathing, and Bucky could almost hear the gears turning in his head. But it didn’t last long, barely a handful of seconds before the other man let his breath out in a gust. 

“I do not know, Your Grace,” Paris said before he turned to face Bucky. Scoffing, Bucky shifted his weight to one leg, keeping his gaze steady on Paris’ face. 

“That’s not a good enough answer, Guard Commander. It’s your job to keep not only the Princess and the King safe, but everyone who lives and works in the palace.” Bucky snapped. He didn’t understand where all this confidence had come from. Only last night he’d been skittish as a spooked horse, could barely speak his mind to Boros and Patricia. 

Perhaps it was simply that he’d accepted that this was his home now, and with the revelation of what he was to Victoria, he doubted that anyone would ever make him leave. Or maybe it was just his dislike of the man in front of him. Bucky didn’t know, and he set the thoughts aside to think of later when he wasn’t trying to catch the tiniest bit of a lie from Paris. 

“What would you like me to say, Your Grace? That I failed at my job? That my king, a dear friend to my late father, would be dead if it were not for you? That I know there is a traitor in the castle?” Paris snapped, his own arms coming up to cross over his chest. Bucky had to wonder, even if it was for one second, why the black blazer Paris wore didn’t fit him very well. 

Bucky’s eyes narrowed as he studied Paris’ face and body language. The anger was clear, as was the complete lack of respect. Bucky didn’t care about either. This man didn’t have to like him, didn’t have to respect him. He did have to do his damned job though. 

“I know all of these things, Your Grace. I have been working nearly non stop since the airstrip to find the person who did this.” Paris snarled. Bucky opened his mouth to say something, what he wasn’t sure, when Paris continued. 

“You are new here, Your Grace. And with what I know about the Winter Soldier, I’m sorry to say, but you are now on the top of my suspect list.” Bucky’s arms dropped in surprise, staring open-mouthed at Paris as he tried to process what he’d just heard. He’d been the one to save Victor, hell, he’d been the one to chase down the assassin. 

Once again, Bucky had opened his mouth to deny it, to remind Paris of what had happened but was interrupted. The heavy gold watch on Paris’ wrist lit up red and a high pitched alarm screeched out of it. Bucky winced, his ears ringing at the sudden noise. 

“What the fuck is that?” Bucky yelled, clenching his hands into fists to keep from covering his ears. Paris didn’t answer, instead, he tapped the faceplate of the watch twice. Dropping a sharp bow to Bucky, he turned on his heel and rushed away without a word. 

Bucky stared after him but didn’t follow. 

It wasn’t until Bucky turned to head back to Victoria that he noticed Carl standing a few feet behind him. It surprised Bucky, having not realized the robot had followed him away from the lunch table. Was he so used to the robot so soon that he’d completely missed being shadowed? Or had he been so focused on Paris that he’d missed it? 

Either way, it left Bucky feeling unbalanced. 

Shaking away the thoughts, Bucky ducked around the robot and retraced his steps. He met up with Victoria and her father well before he got back to where they’d had lunch, and the looks on both their faces were enough to have him lamenting his unarmed state once again. 

“What’s going on?” Bucky asked, watching a squad of guards come rushing toward the three of them. 

“Someone entered our airspace without authorization.” Victor snapped, his phone to his ear as he spoke. Bucky looked at Victoria, who stepped close to his side and shrugged. 

“Some kind of aircraft, we don’t have eyes on it yet, but they’re headed this way apparently.” Victoria murmured. Bucky pressed his lips together to keep from reacting when she hooked her pinkie around his flesh one. He wondered if that jolt of electricity would ever fade when they touched skin to skin, and had to admit that he didn’t want it to. 

“Why don’t we greet our ‘guests’ at the airstrip?” Victor snarled. Bucky didn’t like it, but he followed when Victoria tugged him after her father. Carl, Bobert, and the other four robots surrounded them as they made their way around the palace proper and followed the paved walkway back toward the airstrip. The squad of guards flowed around the robots, taking up positions to fill in the holes they left until Bucky, Victor, and Victoria were completely surrounded. 

Twisting his wrist and altering his stride let Bucky link his fingers with Victoria’s completely. The hair on the back of his neck was on end, and he was fighting the shivering feeling of being trapped with no escape. It settled, though didn’t go away entirely, the moment his palm slid over hers. 

Gooseflesh rippled over his back when the string connecting them tugged and his heart jolted in his chest. Victoria squeezed his hand and gave him a barely-there smile when he slanted his eyes toward her. She’d felt it too then. Bucky returned her smile. 

They reached the airstrip quickly enough, but when Bucky saw the quinjet hovering above the tarmac, he stopped. The group stopped with him, and he had to take a deep breath before he could speak. 

“Stark Industries? What’s Stark doing here?” Victor spoke before he could. Victoria looked between the jet that was touching down and Bucky and sighed. 

“I’m gonna wait here. If that’s really Stark he won’t want to see me. If it’s Steve, like I think it is, I don’t want to see him.” Bucky said softly, meeting Victoria’s eyes. She nodded, squeezed his hand and moved up to her father’s side. Bucky swallowed hard when her touch left him but managed to not reach out and take her hand back. Instead, he turned to look at Carl. 

“Carl, protect the princess,” Bucky ordered. Those same red lights from the night before came on in its face. 

“Order Acknowledged.” Came the mechanical voice. 

The guard to his right stepped out of the way when Bucky moved that way. When he slipped between one of the robots and the woman, she held a knife out to him hilt first. Bucky stared at her for a moment before taking the blade. Memorizing her face, he moved into the shadows of the trees and hoped that the paleness of his sweater didn’t give him away. He’d figure out a way to thank her for the kindness later.

***

Victoria didn’t want to leave Bucky there in the trees, even more so when he’d ordered Carl to stay with her. But when Marisol had offered him a knife, Victoria was able to breathe a little easier. He’d be fine, even without the blade. 

It wasn’t physical danger that she worried about, it was everything else. She remembered how disconcerting it was to suddenly find yourself in a safe place after spending years in constant danger. She’d felt adrift and unbalanced for months after they broke the brainwashing. It had taken years for her to find herself again afterward. 

This had to be so much harder for him. He was under HYDRA’s control for so much longer, had been alone on the run for more than a year after he’d gotten away from them. And this wasn’t his home. Not like it was hers. 

She’d grown up here, had learned to walk on the lawns, had learned to read in the library. She’d been born in the infirmary. Had grown up surrounded by servants and guards and so many people who loved her. 

Bucky’s words in her father’s lab made her realize how alone he must feel. He trusted only her and her father, considered everyone else a suspect in the plot to kill her father. Must feel like he’s completely surrounded by enemies. 

Victoria made a mental note to reward Marisol for her small kindness. Being armed would more than likely help Bucky feel more in control of his surroundings. Perhaps when they were done here, she’d take him to the armory and let him pick his own weapons from there. Tapping her fingers over the knife strapped to her upper thigh, Victoria knew how much better she felt with it there. 

The ramp lowering on the back of the jet in front of her drew her attention away from her thoughts, and she straightened. Time to figure out what was going on. 

The man who appeared on the ramp had her father going stiff next to her, and she could tell why. He looked remarkably like Johnny Storm. 

But Johnny didn’t hold himself like a soldier, had more swagger in his walk than the man who came down the ramp as soon as it was down. When Victoria finally recognized who this was, she felt cold rage sweep through her body. 

“Captain Rogers. I was under the impression that you were asked to stay away.” Victoria snapped before he could say a word. She was gratified to watch him stumble a step before collecting himself, though the guilt that flashed across his face didn’t stop her from grinding her teeth. 

“Well… uh…” He muttered. He held a plastic open box in his hands, one that he let hang from one hand while the other came up to rub across the back of his neck. The contents of the box rattled, and he caught the knife that tried to tumble out of it. The sight of the weapon had the guards and bots around them jumping into action. Guns came up and leveled at the Captain, and he froze as he looked around. 

“Captain Rogers is it…” Victor intoned. Victoria glanced at him and met his curious gaze. 

“Bucky told him at the end of the interview with Deputy Ross that he didn’t want to talk to him. Told him that until contacted that he should stay away. Yet… here he is.” Victoria said, her voice sickly sweet as she smiled a baring of teeth at her father. Victor raised a single eyebrow before turning back to the Captain. 

Victoria turned back to the blonde to find he’d set the box on the ground, backed away from it and had his hands raised. 

“What are you doing here?” Victoria asked, marching forward to stand off the shoulder of one of the guards that had the Captain surrounded. His jaw ticked, and his nostrils flared as he glanced around himself. 

“Isn’t this a little excessive? I’m not a threat.” He said, turning those burning blue eyes toward her. Victoria crossed her arms and cocked her hip, looking him over. 

“You are a Super Soldier. You have shown up unannounced when you’ve been told to stay away. And you came armed. Answer my question, what are you doing here?” Victoria asked, looking him over again. Jeans, worn-in boots, white t-shirt and a brown leather jacket. It was the same thing he’d worn the day before when she’d seen him get out of the van at the UN. 

The Captain looked her over for several seconds before his eyes flicked to Victor over her shoulder. Victoria resisted the urge to stomp her foot and demand he look at her. She waited him out. She knew her father wasn’t going to interfere, knew he would never make her look weak like that. What little respect she had for the Captain disappeared in that moment though. He’d looked at her father as if what Victor had to say was more important that her.

Finally, the Captain sighed and turned back to her. 

“I brought the rest of Bucky’s things. They cleared out his apartment yesterday and I figured he’d want them. There’s more boxes in the jet, but those are the weapons he had on him when they caught him.” The Captain said, indicating the box one of the guards was pawing through. Victoria looked at the box and lifted an eyebrow when the guard looked up. 

He quickly dropped the knife that had been in his hand back into the box and stood up. With a wave of her hand, the guards lowered their guns and stepped away from the Captain who slowly lowered his arms to cross over his chest. Victoria stepped up to the Captain and glared up at him. He was as tall as her father, but that never intimidated her. 

“Thank you for bringing his things, but that’s it. Once the boxes are unloaded you’re getting back on that jet and leaving. You are not welcome here until the Duke says otherwise. You call yourself his friend, but you disregard his wants at every turn.” Victoria snarled, jabbing a finger into his chest to drive her point home. One of his hands came up and slapped hers away from him. Victoria took a step back and waved the guards and the bots away when they came forward. 

Looking him over one final time, Victoria sneered before turning on her heel. Bending, she picked the box of weapons up off the ground and marched away. 

“Papa, I’m taking Bucky to see the horses. Can you have Katherine find us please?” Victoria called over her shoulder. She didn’t wait for an answer, instead, she headed straight for the trees. Bucky was in there somewhere, though she couldn’t see him. He’d see her though, would see her coming and would meet her. 

Stepping into the shadows of the trees, she moved deeper into them until she figured no one could see her from the airstrip and stopped. Dropping the box onto the ground she reached up and began to pull the pins out of her hair. The tight bun was giving her a headache. 

Flinching just a little when more hands joined hers in her hair, she relaxed when she heard Bucky’s soft murmur of reassurance from behind her. He’d come up to her on silent feet. Dropping her hands from her head, she let him work his fingers into it to find the rest of the pins. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that particular look of shock on Steve’s face before. I don’t think he was expecting someone who looked as sweet as you to rip into him like that.” Bucky murmured. Victoria giggled softly and groaned when the last pin came out and her hair fell around her shoulders. 

“I just can’t believe he would show up like this. Christ, you told him only hours ago that you didn’t want to see him.” Victoria snapped. Turning around to face him when his hands disappeared from her hair she had to catch her breath at the tender look on his face. When his metal hand came up to cup her cheek, she leaned into it. 

“It’s Steve. I’m not surprised.” He murmured. She watched his eyes flick down to her lips and then back up to her eyes and she sighed. 

“Bucky… kiss me. Please?” She whispered, stepping closer to him. Her hands came up to lay against his chest, the hand with the pins in it a fist over his heart. He moved his hand from her cheek to cup the back of her head and leaned into her. When he hesitated at the last second, she rocked up on her toes and sealed their lips together. 


	13. Chapter 13

They never did make it to the barn. 

Bucky wasn’t disappointed, not when he’d spent nearly half an hour kissing his girl. Hidden from view in the trees, with Carl and Bobert on watch for anyone approaching, he’d let himself sink into her kisses. He didn’t know how he ended up sitting against a tree with Victoria in his lap. Didn’t know how his hands ended up under her skirt, clutching at her ass. He most certainly wasn’t complaining about that at least. It’d had been… good. 

He was, however, complaining about Victor stepping under the shade of the trees and clearing his throat loudly when the jet took off. Bucky had to resist the urge to suck Victoria’s lip into his mouth when it stuck out in a pout. Had to take a moment to breathe before he stood, to will his dick to calm the fuck down before he embarrassed himself. Victor had the tact not to mention the mussed hair, or the rumbled clothing when the two of them came into view. He simply helped Victoria smooth her hair back into it’s bun, sliding the pins into place without a word. 

The three of them followed the guards back to the palace, and then down the hallways to Victoria’s office. Katherine was already waiting, a sheath of papers waiting for Victoria to address. Victor left them there with a promise from Bucky to dine with them that night. 

Bucky had spent the rest of the afternoon going through the boxes of his stuff. His clothes were there, along with his books. They’d even found his money stash, though the fake passport that had been with it wasn’t there. His journals were already in his suite, so he didn’t worry about that. There was even a box of food there, more than had been in his cupboards. 

Victoria settled in at her desk with the papers while Katherine helped him dig through the boxes. He shamelessly listened in to the phone calls she made, proud of how she handled herself as she spoke with dignitaries, diplomats and politicians. She was competent, precise in her words, and took none of the misogynist shit that was flung at her. 

Bucky couldn’t help but chuckle at the appalled look on Katherine’s face every time she found a stain or a hole in his ratty old third hand clothing. 

“I’ll take most of the cast offs to Boros, he can use them to help pick out clothing for you. The jeans are acceptable, but the rest of this… I’m sorry, Your Grace. Some of these are no better than rags.” Bucky shook his head at her and tossed another torn t-shirt into the pile of cast offs. 

“It’s what I could afford. Wasn’t worried about the quality of my clothing.” He said. She’d given him a steady look, before opening another box. A box that happened to be filled with weapons. She raised an eyebrow at them, and gave him a look through her lashes. There was sass in the smirk she sent his way.

“I see where your money went, Your Grace.” She reached into the box and pulled out a knife. It was a buckle knife, the simple black belt it was attached to trailed over her hand. He wondered what she thought of it, but couldn’t bring himself to ask. 

“That one’s pretty,” Victoria said. Bucky twisted to look at her, still sat crossed legged on the floor. His back popped with the motion. She had the phone to her ear, and he could hear music coming from it. Her other hand disappeared under the desk and a moment later came back with a folding knife in it. With a practiced flick of her wrist it opened into a gorgeous stiletto blade. Getting to his feet, his brows drawing together he went to her desk and took the knife when she offered it. 

“Where were you keeping that?” He asked, turning it over in his hands. It was light weight, and wickedly sharp. Popping his thumb into his mouth to suck the blood off it after he tested the edge, he carefully closed it and offered it back to her.

His mouth fell open when she pushed her chair back and stood. He watched as she used the knife to lift the skirt of her dress up until a band of lace came into view on her right thigh. With an ease that spoke of familiarity she slipped the knife into a pocket in the lace and let the skirt fall. How had he missed that earlier? Had he been that lost in her kisses that he’d completely missed that bit of lace? No, it was on her right thigh, the sensors in his hand weren’t  _ that _ sensitive. 

“Yes, hello! I’m still here, Your Majesty.” Victoria said. Bucky shook his head, a grin on his face as he moved back to his stuff. So his girl was comfortable with knives, and went armed even in her own home. It was a bittersweet thought; on one hand she could defend herself, on the other it meant that even here she didn’t feel safe. After he’d settled onto the floor again he side eyed Katherine. Flicking a look back toward Victoria he set his jaw and caught Katherine's eyes. 

“Katherine. You know of the attack on the king?” He asked. Bucky wanted to trust Victoria’s maid, but he had to be certain. 

“Of course, Your Grace. I guess you missed me, I was there.” She said. A muscle in her jaw ticked, and her hand twitched where she folding his jeans. Bucky held his metal hand out to her. 

“The King has charged me with finding who sent the assassin. Give me your hand and look me in the eyes.” He said, trying to put athoritity into his voice. Katherine cocked an eyebrow at him, but set the jeans in her hands down. She didn’t even flinch when he gripped her hand in his, pressing the tips of his fingers to the pulse point on her wrist. He held it gently, no need to harm her. He locked eyes with her, and let himself concentrate on the sensations from his arm. 

“I’m going to ask you some normal questions. I need to get a read on you first. I want you to answer the first one truthfully, and then lie for the next two. Yes or No answers.” He said. Bucky could feel Victoria’s eyes on them, but she didn’t interfere. Simply continued on with the conversation she was having with who was apparently the King of Wakanda. Bucky recognized the voice of the man who’d been wearing the black cat suit from the day before. 

“Is your name Katherine?” He asked.

“Yes.” Not a flutter in her heart rate. No changes in body temp under his fingers, no response from her pupils. 

“Is your hair green?” He asked. 

“Yes.” Her heart stuttered, her eyes flicked minutely to the left. Her body temperature fluctuated for the barest moment. 

“Are you wearing a dress?” He asked. She wasn’t actually, something that had shocked him a little bit that day. Only a few of the women servants were wearing dresses. Most were in slacks and a simple blouse. 

“Yes.” She said. Her pupils shrank before dilating, her breath caught in her throat just before the word came out. Feeling confident that he had a bead on her, he nodded. 

“Did you send the assassin after the king?” He asked. 

“No.” She said, conviction in her voice. Heart rate steady, no changes in pupils or body temperature. As far as he could tell she was telling the truth. 

“Do you know who did?” He asked. 

“No.” She said. Again, no sign of deception. 

“Do you mean harm to the princess or the king?” He asked, his own heart jumping just a little. Ignoring the anxiety that rose at the thought, he kept his focus steady on her. 

“No.” She said. Her lips thinned, but there was nothing else. Dropping her hand, he offered her a smile. 

“Thank you. I’m sorry to have to do that, but I don’t trust anyone yet.” He said. Katherine looked at him for a long moment before waving away the apology. 

“That’s to be expected, Your Grace. You are new here, and to have an assassination attempt moments after you arrive. Anyone would be cautious in that situation.” She said, returning to folding the clothes he was planning on keeping. Bucky sighed and glanced over at Victoria. Her call had ended while he’d been talking with Katherine and she was coming over to them. 

She sank to the floor next to him and gave him a long look. 

“I trust her, Bucky.” She said. He glanced down when she touched his metal hand softly. Right over where he could still feel the string wrapped around his finger. Bucky chewed on his lip as he thought it over. He didn’t know if it was a good idea, but he trusted Victoria. Finally, he nodded and caught her hand before she could take it back entirely. 

“Katherine?” Victoria said, smiling when the other woman turned to look at them. Bucky watched her notice their hands. 

“Yes, Your Highness.” Katherine said. He didn’t know her well enough to be able to place the tone in her voice. 

“Bucky is my soulmate. We figured it out today.” Victoria said. Katherine’s eyes went wide, and she squealed. 

“We’re not telling anyone yet.” Bucky said, his voice hard. Katherine froze, looking between them. 

“Bucky is afraid that he’ll be used to get to me. Until the doctors can remove the triggers from his mind, we’ve agreed to keep this between us. Only my father knows besides us three.” Victoria said, squeezing his hand. Bucky looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, gritting his teeth at the sadness on her face. 

Katherine was quiet for several moments as she looked between the two of them, before she nodded sharply. 

“I understand. Thank you for trusting me with this.” A slow, wicked grin split her face and Bucky had to fight the urge to move away from her. “Plus, how exciting is it to have secret liasons?” 

Bucky felt his eyes go wide at the tone in her voice, and the implications of what she was suggesting. Heat filled his cheeks and he glanced at Victoria to find a blush there as well. Though there was a matching grin on her face as she glanced at Bucky. Suddenly Bucky was glad they’d told Katherine, because it meant that he’d be able to spend time with Victoria without having to worry about others finding out about them. 

“Do not worry, Your Highness. I’ll help you keep your secret.” Katherine said, with a wink. Victoria giggled, and Bucky was able to relax a little bit. They apparently had an ally. 

Victoria helped them finish sorting through Bucky’s things and then the three of them packed all of it to his suite. Once his things were settled, Patricia appeared to announce dinner and the three of them made their way to a dining room where Victor joined them. 

Dinner was a quiet affair, though the steaks were tender and the prawns were nearly as big as Bucky’s palm. Desert was a wonderful plum bread pudding and tea. 

By the time Bucky left Victoria at her bedroom door that night his eyes were burning. He pulled on the only pair of sweats he’d kept and crawled into bed. He was asleep almost as soon as his hand closed around the knife he’d tucked under his pillow. 

***

Bucky came awake the next morning slowly. There had been no dreams while he slept, no nightmares to have him screaming. He felt… well rested in fact. It was such an unusual feeling that he had to take a moment to breathe through the panic that rose in him. 

How ridiculous was that? To feel panic and anxiety because he woke calm and well rested? 

Shaking his head, he rolled out of bed, leaving his knife under the pillow. The room was dark, but he had no trouble seeing his way toward the bathroom. He had to blink a couple of times when he flicked on the light, his eyes aching at the sudden change. After taking care of his bodily needs he stood in front of the mirror washing his hands. 

“Christ…” He muttered when he saw his hair. It was a rat’s nest. Once he’d dried his hands he pulled one of the drawers open, looking for something to tame it. He hadn’t found any of his toiletries in among the boxes the day before. He found a pair of scissors sitting next to the comb he was looking for in the second drawer he opened. 

Bucky stared at them for a long time, finally looking away to glance up at the mirror. At his hair again. His eyes flicked back down to the scissors. 

Hadn’t he thought about it just yesterday? About how he wished he’d taken scissors to it long before now? HYRDA had left it long while he’d been with them. He didn’t know if it was simply lack of caring for what their weapon looked like, or if they were using it to distance him further from the man he’d been.

Before he was even aware he’d made the decision, he’d pulled the comb and the scissors from the drawer and closed it. Leaning over the sink he wet his hair and ran the comb through it. His hand was shaking when he took up the scissors, but the motions of it came back easily. Some distant memory told him that he’d done this before, back before the war. His family didn’t have the money to have someone else cut his hair for him, and by the time he’d reached adulthood his mother had insisted he’d be able to do it himself. 

The first lock of hair to fall against his shoulder made his stop for a moment. He had to breathe through a lump in his throat, blink tears out of his eyes. Once he’d collected himself he returned to the task at hand, by the time the last of it was gone and he was brushing it away from his shoulders there were tears rolling down his cheeks. 

Shucking out of his pants, he stepped into the shower and analysed the emotions rolling through him. He wasn’t sad, or anxious about cutting his hair. It had felt like a release, like going through the motions of it had knocked some block away from his emotions and he felt lighter as the tears dried up. 

Bucky scrubbed himself from head to toe, even though he didn’t feel dirty. The routine of it helped him settle a little and he felt more stable by the time he turned the water off and reached for his towel. Glancing in the mirror one last time he had to catch his breath again. The change in his hair was enough to rock him a little. He looked more like himself, the person he’d been before HYDRA. Less like the weapon he’d been seeing for so long. There was nothing he could do about the arm, nothing he could do about the scarring. Yet, his reflection invoked fewer horrible memories, fewer choking emotions than it had when he’d woken. 

Shaking the thoughts away, Bucky ran his hand over his face, debating on if he wanted to shave that morning or not. The stubble was getting long. Reaching for the razor sitting next to the sink he stopped when a knock sounded on the door of his suite. Stopping at the dresser that now held his clothing, he grabbed a pair of briefs and struggled to get them up over wet skin. Cursing under his breath as they stuck to his thighs and then his ass, he reminded himself to be careful. It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d torn his clothing getting into them. Once they were in place he grabbed the knife he’d left in his underwear drawer and ghosted to the door. 

He recognized the cologne that wafted through the door and sighed. Boros may not be someone he trusted yet, but at least he knew him. It took only a moment to unlock the door and open it for the other man. 

“Boros,” Bucky said in greeting. The other man blinked at him for a moment before smiling. 

“Your Grace, good morning. I like the hair.” Boros said. Bucky stepped aside, not trying to hide the blade in his hand. Boros’ eyes flicked down to it, but there was no other reaction. Bucky glanced at Carl, where the robot was standing just inside the door and found the lights in its face on. 

“Uh… thanks.” Bucky mumbled, closing the door and following Boros further into the room. It was only then that he noticed the garment bags hanging over Boros’ arm. Bucky watched as he carefully laid them over the back of the couch. 

“I would like to have you try these on, so that I may get a better read on your size. Then I’ll take measurements and make any needed adjustments.” Boros said, gesturing to the bags as he turned back to Bucky. Bucky sighed, knowing that it was needed, but he was loathe to have someone else touch him. He felt his fingers begin to tap against his thigh and ground his teeth. Boros wasn’t a threat, and Bucky wondered for only a moment why this man made him so nervous. 

It was the accent. 

Boros’ thick russian accent was too close to what his handlers had sounded like for Bucky to relax completely around him. The revelation was enough to have Bucky set his jaw and lift his chin. He wasn’t going to let something so small dictate his life any longer. 

“Okay. What do I need to do?” 


	14. Chapter 14

The fitting with Boros had been entertaining. It hadn’t taken them long to begin talking to each other in Russian. At first, Bucky had been hesitant, worried that speaking the language would bring about some kind of reaction to the Soldier inside him. It hadn’t. Boros may have sounded like his old handlers, but he was such a laid back person that it had been impossible to think of him in that way. 

Before Bucky knew it his sides and stomach hurt from how much he was laughing. Bucky had insisted on testing Boros in the same way that he’d tested Katherine. He was surprised at how relieved he’d been when he’d detected no signs of deception in Boros. Bucky liked this man, wanted him to be innocent of the plot against Victor. Boros had insisted on cleaning up a few ragged spots on the back of Bucky’s hair, places where he hadn’t been able to see it, thus make it even while he was cutting that morning. The other man hadn’t reacted at all to Bucky clutching a knife in his hand while they stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom. It had been the only way Bucky had managed to allow him to stand behind him. Once Boros was satisfied with Bucky’s hair, he’d run a lint roller over Bucky to gather up any stray hairs. 

It had taken a little while to break Boros of calling him ‘Your Grace’ but by the time Bucky was standing in a pair of slacks and a tank top on a small stool it had set in. 

“Now, Bucky, I will have to get very close to your dick here. I’m sorry, but the inseam.” Boros said, and Bucky could hear the smile in his voice. 

“What?” Bucky asked. Boros laid a hand against his calf to keep him from turning, and once he’d settled once more he felt a light touch run from his ankle up the inside of his leg. That touch did get rather closer to his balls than he was comfortable with, but it was gone before he could react. 

“There, all done,” Boros said, appearing from behind Bucky. Staring at him wide-eyed, Bucky couldn’t help but chuckle at the wicked grin on Boros’ face. Bucky stepped off the stool and moved into the bathroom when Boros waved him that way. The other man’s voice floated in while Bucky pulled off the slacks, careful of the pins that had been left in the cuff and stepped into a pair of dark jeans. 

“My  _ muzh _ * will be jealous of me tonight when I tell him of this,” Boros called. Bucky stepped out of the bathroom once the jeans were on, offering the slacks to Boros. 

“Why would he be jealous?” Bucky asked. He went to the pile of weapons that he’d left on the coffee table in the sitting area, not having the time the night before to find a home for all of them. His shoulder harness was there on top, the three knives already in their sheaths. It took only a moment to shrug into it and thread the belt Boros held out to him through the loops. Once it was settled comfortably he went to his dresser to find a shirt to wear. He felt too exposed in the tank top and didn’t want to go visibly armed. He found a thick grey sweater with black blocks of color over the shoulders. It fit him almost perfectly. He had to pull a little on the collar to stretch it so he didn’t feel like he was being strangled, but afterward, he was comfortable enough. 

“He was one of the guards who went to the airstrip with you to meet the Captain yesterday. He could not shut up about the handsome Duke last night. Good choice on the sweater, the blades do not show through.” Boros said, looking him over critically. Bucky blinked and froze. It had been a long time since anyone had called him handsome. At least to his face anyway. He kinda figured that Victoria found him attractive. He certainly found her beautiful, but to have someone else call him that was… odd.

Grabbing socks from his drawer to cover his sudden quiet, Bucky sat on the edge of his bed to pull them on. It wasn’t a bad odd, just not something he was accustomed to. Shaking away the thoughts, he took the boots Boros held out to him with a grateful nod. They weren’t his worn-in pair, but they were very good quality. Fitting the laces into place he was happy to see a zipper up the inside of each ankle. He wouldn’t have to lace them halfway up his calf every time he wore them. 

Pulling his jeans down over the boot tops, Bucky stood and turned back to Boros. The other man had gathered his tools and the suits in their bags and was looking over Bucky once more. 

“Very Good, Your Grace,” Boros said. Bucky glowered at him for the ‘Your Grace’ but Boros only dropped a trim bow and went to the door. When he opened it he found Patricia on the other side, her hand raised to knock. There was a young man standing at her elbow. 

“Ah, Boros. I needed to speak with His Grace.” Patricia said. Bucky felt a surge of pride when she caught sight of him when Boros squeezed out the door passed her. Her eyes bugged out a little and she had to swallow a couple of times before she could speak again. 

“Good Morning, Your Grace,” Patricia said when she finally could. 

“Ms. May, Good Morning,” Bucky said. He eyed the young man as the two of them stepped into the room. He was in his mid-twenties at the oldest, the button up shirt and jeans showed a trim but lean physique. His hair was a dark brown, cut short on the sides and left longer on the top. His eyes were a shocking clear blue that fell somewhere between his own pale eyes and Steve’s. A neat goatee and mustache framed his mouth.

“This is Sean, he’s been assigned as your valet. His duties include making sure your rooms are kept clean, and he’ll be keeping your calendar.” Patricia said. Sean dropped a trim bow to Bucky and offered a warm smile when he straightened. 

“I don’t… need…” Bucky stuttered, feeling anxiety twist in his stomach. He didn’t need, nor want a servant. But the look of disappointment that flicked through Sean’s eyes made him sigh. 

“You do need someone to help you, Your Grace,” Patricia said. Her voice was calm but firm. Bucky looked at her and slumped. 

“I’m sorry, you’re right. Hello, Sean. Please call me Bucky,” Bucky said, taking a step forward and offering his hand to the other man. Sean beamed and shook his hand. 

“I think I can manage that, Bucky,” Sean said. His voice held an Irish lilt to it and was deeper than expected. Patricia smiled, dropped a curtsy to Bucky and said her goodbyes. She reminded them that breakfast would be ready soon before she left and closed the door behind her. 

Eyeing Sean, Bucky finally sighed. It took only a minute to question Sean about the plot against the king. When he couldn’t find any sign of deception in the other man, Bucky relaxed a little. It would take time for him to trust Sean, but at least he knew he wasn’t trying to commit regicide. 

Sean gave Bucky a phone, informed him that there was a laptop on order for him. When Bucky went to argue about the computer, Sean had only given him a long look. 

“The world is an electronic one now, Bucky. The easiest and fastest way to get accustomed to it is with a computer and access to the internet.” Sean explained. Bucky grumbled but had to admit he was right. Sean’s phone beeped then, informing them that breakfast was ready. 

Bucky slipped his phone into his pocket, grabbed the key to his room and they left. Carl fell into step behind them. Sean didn’t even bat an eye at the robot. 

Sean promised that he’d have a maid come in and clean up the mess that had been left in the bathroom. When Bucky gave him a look, Sean had given him another long look and informed him that he would be there to supervise. 

“You and I will be the only ones allowed into your suite alone, Bucky. And I will not be in there without informing you first. Privacy is important and no one will invade it without your knowledge.” 

***

Bucky had enjoyed breakfast with Victoria and Victoria, but he’d barely managed to eat any of the food on his plate. He was anxious about his appointment with the doctors. His meal companions understood, and though Victoria encouraged him to eat, she didn’t press when he laid his napkin on the table and pushed his plate away. 

When the time finally came, Victoria walked with him to the infirmary. He’d had a hard time not pulling her into a dark corner, distracted almost to madness by the jeans nearly painted onto her. He’d never seen her in such casual clothing before, save for the pajamas she’d had on when she’d come to him during his nightmare. The jeans, tall boots and a light sweater looked good on her. 

After a quick glance around, she’d left him in the hallway outside the infirmary with a quick kiss and a promise to wait for him. She’d refused to come in with him, this was private, and without the doctor’s knowing what they were to each other they would not let her stay with him. He’d ground his teeth, but had gone in with his head up. 

The doctor, the same one who’d helped Victoria the day before, had discussed his treatment at length. Victor had told her how the triggers had been anchored in his mind, attached to memories of his past. Specifically memories of Steve. HYDRA had forced the memories to the surface, associated a single word with them and then caused pain. With enough time, his mind had started to associate pain with those memories, and then with the word. 

String enough of those words together and the pain and anxiety that they caused shut his higher brain function down and allowed them to program what was left. The doctor had called it his ‘reptile brain’, the part of his mind that was all instinct. That was all the Soldier was, just instinct that they’d managed to train to follow orders. 

She confessed that she didn’t feel comfortable with triggering that state of mind and trying to reprogram it. Not for her safety, but for his own mental well-being. Thus it would be there for the rest of his life, would always be part of his ‘fight or flight’ response. Bucky hadn’t been particularly happy about that, but there was nothing to be done apparently. 

As for the trigger words, the doctor explained that they were going to do what HYDRA had done. They would induce a euphoric state in him with chemicals that his brain produced naturally, then while he was calm and relaxed they would use the word. Bringing the memory, the anxiety and the pain to the surface. They would repeat this until his mind stopped associating the memory and the word with pain, and would instead feel positive emotions to it. Without the negative reactions, there was no way the words would shut down his higher brain function, thus keeping the Soldier away. 

It had been a lot to digest for Bucky. The doctor had given him a few minutes to try and process before she’d explained what they needed from him today. They needed to measure his metabolism, so they knew how fast it was. The correct dosage of the chemicals they planned on using was essential to what they were attempting. 

They would need him to fast, consume nothing but water, for up to eight hours. Normally it would be sixteen or more, but with the knowledge that his metabolism was faster than normal, they were cutting the time down. He would need to come in again later in the day, where they would give him a calorie rich drink. He’d continue to fast for four more hours before they did a blood draw. 

She’d asked if he had any questions, but he couldn’t think of any at that point. Had asked if he could think about it and come back to her with them if he had any. She’d agreed and shooed him off, reminding him to return later that day for the rest of what she needed. Bucky had said his goodbyes and had gone to find Victoria. 

Victoria had taken one look at his face and had quietly guided him out the closest door. She hadn’t said a word as they strolled side by side. It wasn’t until the smell had grown stronger that he’d looked up to see what could only be the dog kennels he’d heard the day before. 

“I spent a lot of time out here when I got home. The dogs are… simple. There’s no ulterior motives with them. They don’t care if you get scared at loud noises, or at people being behind you. They only care about being fed, or played with.” Victoria said softly when Bucky looked over at her. Bucky smiled because she’d known exactly what he needed right then. When her hand came up, he didn’t hesitate to interlace his fingers with hers. He felt the string connecting them pull taut as they stepped through the gate. 

“What breed are they?” Bucky asked, his eyes caught on one of the dogs. 

“Cane Corsos. We breed and train them as herding dogs. Those who don’t take to that kind of work are trained as companions and my father either gives them to service dog charities or sells them to those looking for them. We do extensive background checks on those trying to buy them.” Victoria said, waving to the head breeder as he appeared. 

“They’re gorgeous.” Bucky breathed, awe in his voice. 

***

Victoria watched as Bucky sat on the floor. The head breeder had taken one look at him and had whisked them into one of the den rooms. One of the dogs had given birth to a litter a week ago. The bitch’s head was resting on one of Bucky’s thighs, and he was stroking over her clipped ears as the puppies nursed. 

“Your Highness?” The breeder asked from the doorway. Victoria turned to look at him and smiled. He was a short man, barely topping five foot. He kept his dark blonde hair shorn close to his scalp and wore oversized green glasses. Today he was in black skinny jeans and a flannel shirt left unbuttoned over a cotton t-shirt. 

“Yes, Rusty?” Victoria said. She was sitting on a small stool that Rusty had brought into the room, though she’d have been perfectly fine sitting on the floor with Bucky. Rusty came the rest of the way into the room and squatted at her knee, his eyes on the puppies. 

“There are too many. The runt, the albino, isn’t doing well. I would nurse him myself, but I do not have the time.” Rusty murmured. Victoria’s eyes were drawn to the tiny white creature. It stood out among the pile of grey and brown and black bodies. She watched it struggle to get to a teat and fail. 

“I don’t have time either, with the Accords…” Victoria said. She was worried for the puppy, wanted him to be okay, but she just didn’t have the time. She should be in her office making phone calls as it was, but she’d cleared her calendar for the next couple of days to be there to support Bucky. 

A metal hand reached into the pile of puppies and carefully extracted the wriggling white one. Victoria watched as Bucky cradled the creature close to his chest, stroking a finger over the top of his head. 

“I don’t have anything to do other than stuff with the doctors… I could do it.” Bucky offered, looking between Rusty and her. Meeting Rusty’s eyes, she returned the beaming grin on the man’s face. There was enough mischief in his eyes to let her know that had been his plan from the beginning. She’d have to find a way to thank him. Bucky would feel displaced and adrift here, with nothing to fill his time. With a pup to look after he’d find a purpose perhaps. 

The princess watched as Rusty talked Bucky through mixing up formula for the tiny creature, and how to hold him properly with the bottle. Explained how often he’d need to be fed. After that was done, Rusty produced a spare key to the kennels, giving it to Bucky. 

Afterward, Rusty bowed to them both and disappeared out the door again. Bucky and Victoria spent the rest of the afternoon with the dogs, wandering out into the yard so Bucky could play with some of the older pups. He was incredibly gentle with the dogs, patient and focused. Giving herself a pat on the back, Victoria knew that he’d found his place here. Perhaps with time, he’d even find some kind of peace away from fighting and death. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations: 
> 
> muzh: Husband


	15. Chapter 15

Bucky was running late. He’d been out at the kennels, feeding the puppy and he’d lost track of time. It had been three days since he’d taken on the task of nursing the little one, and today was the first time he’d seen the doctors since. The tests the doctor had run were back and they were ready to take the next step in removing the triggers from his mind. 

Jogging along the path toward the palace, Bucky stretched his hearing out, listening to the ebb and flow of life around him. He still felt out of place here, still felt like an outsider. It was a feeling that was fading every day, a little bit at a time. Every time someone smiled and waved as he passed, every time Rusty or Sean or Katherine came up to him and said hello. 

Everyone had been incredibly welcoming and warm to him. Well, everyone but Guard Commander Paris. The man still rubbed Bucky the wrong way, but they had had very little need to interact. Bucky had gone out of his way to question those closest to him or Victor or Victoria, but for the most part, he didn’t bother looking at the other servants. It was someone higher up that had managed to sneak the assassin in. Someone with enough clout to get the bastard passed the bots, and someone with enough understanding of the way the guards worked to get him past them. 

Bucky still suspected Paris. The man hadn’t answered Bucky’s questions, had deflected and turned the conversation to Bucky. It had been masterfully done, a perfect evasion. Or… he truly could be innocent and had reacted defensively to a stranger questioning his ability to do his job. That bit of doubt, alongside Bucky’s extreme dislike of his attitude toward Victoria, had stayed Bucky’s hand. 

Yes, he was the most likely to be responsible for the attack, but he’d done nothing to warrant Bucky digging any deeper. It hadn’t stopped Bucky from digging, hadn’t stopped him from calling in a favor to take a harder look at the Guard Commander. 

Natalia had been reasonably cautious when Bucky had called the Avenger’s Facility asking for her. When he’d explained what it was that he needed she’d asked why he cared. He’d refused to answer, telling her it was his business, not hers. She’d refused to help until he’d told her he wasn’t going to say over an insecure phone line. 

It wasn’t until he heard Steve’s voice in the background that Natalia had finally given in. Steve had asked her to do it as a favor to him, and she’d caved in a second. Bucky had to wonder at the connection between the two but hadn’t asked. 

In the end, he’d received an encrypted email from her about Paris. It hadn’t given him any more information than he’d already had access to. And it had left him frustrated that he couldn’t figure the man out. 

Bucky pulled his mind back to the present when he rounded the corner of the palace and found Sean waiting for him. He’d been resistant to the idea of needing an assistant at first, but the man had become almost invaluable. Even though it had only been three days, Sean had taken him in hand and helped settle Bucky more easily into his new life. 

His dresser and wardrobe were slowly filling with clothing that was not only comfortable but functional and fashion forward. There was a laptop sitting on his desk in his suite next to a list of topics that Sean had suggested Bucky look into. Sean was kind and patient as Bucky acclimated to suddenly being royalty. He helped Bucky to understand the role that Victor had thrust upon him, and had even begun etiquette lessons. There was a lot to learn, just as Victor had warned. 

“Your Grace,” Sean greeted, falling into step next to Bucky. He had his phone in his hands, tapping away with his thumbs. 

“Sean, how many times do I need to tell you to call me Bucky?” Bucky asked as they entered the palace. Sean gave him a look from the corner of his eyes and quirked a smirk at him. 

“How many times do I need to tell you that I won’t in public?” Sean asked. Bucky sighed, shook his head and let it go. It was an exchange they went through several times a day. 

“Anything I need to know?” Bucky asked. 

“The doctor’s are going to keep you for at least an hour, and then the day’s free until supper. The King left an hour ago, something for the UN, so it will be only you and Her Highness tonight. The weather report has called for a storm coming in later this afternoon. I spoke with Rusty, and he’s agreed to look after the puppy until the storm passes. His apartment is on the upper floor of the building the mother is being housed in currently.” Sean said, returning to his phone. Bucky wrinkled his nose at the weather but didn’t comment. He could handle a little rain, but he didn’t particularly want to be out in it. 

The last three days had been more difficult than expected. The pup needed to be fed every few hours, which had meant that Bucky’s sleep had been interrupted. He’d finally given in and had slept in the kennels the night before, curled against the back of Flower. When he’d found out that the mother dog was named Flower he’d been a little surprised until he realized that the spot on her nose looked like a daisy. 

Sean left him at the infirmary, and Bucky felt his stomach knot as he stepped through the door. The doctor from before was waiting for him. Stalling, Bucky shrugged out of his jacket and left it hanging on a hook by the door. 

Dr. Gregory was a tall woman, with dark brown hair pulled into a braid that hung down her back. She was utterly non-threatening. Bucky had been surprised the last time he was here to see her without a lab coat on, but he saw it over the back of her desk chair today. He wondered if she took it off to make him feel more comfortable. 

“Your Grace, welcome. Please sit,” She said, gesturing to a couch set near her desk. Once he was settled, she stood and came around the desk, leaning against it. It was only then that he noticed the tray sitting next to her. 

“Dr. Gregory,” Bucky said. Anxiety was rising in him, and he was trying to choke it back. She seemed to realize this and didn’t bother with small talk. 

“I’ve measured your metabolism. But just to be sure I’m going to test the dosage for the drugs I’m going to use with you. The plan is to induce a euphoric state and then use one of the trigger words. The chemicals I’m going to use are Dopamine and Serotonin. They’re known as ‘Happy Hormones’ and are released by your brain during sex along with other times. No worries, we won’t be using Oxytocin, no need to have you falling in love with anyone.” Gregory said with a cheeky smile. Bucky stared at her, so thrown by what she was saying that he couldn’t manage to be scared of her. 

“You’re going to inject me with sex chemicals?” Bucky asked, incredulous. 

“It’s the easiest way to induce the state we want. You may have a physical reaction to the injection but that’s fine. Not anything I haven’t seen before. I’m going to monitor your brain waves and vitals today, nothing more. Just want to make sure that I have the dosage right.” She said, reaching over to pick up two small disks from the tray. Bucky stared at her as he took the disks from her when she offered them. 

“These go on your temples and should stick on their own. I figured you’d be more comfortable putting them on yourself.” She said. Bucky looked at them for a long moment before nodding. She walked him through peeling the protective paper off one side of them and placing them on both of his temples. After that, she gave him a bracelet with a metal sensor threaded through the elastic band. Once it was on his right wrist, the metal pressed against the pulse point on the inside, she turned to the rest of it. 

“The disks will measure your brain activity and I’ll be able to see the readouts on my computer, the bracelet will record your pulse, blood pressure and blood oxygen levels. Victor helped develop them when Victoria came home. She didn’t do well with the normal way of taking EEG readings.” Gregory said as she pulled on gloves. When Bucky gave her a questioning look she suggested he look it up on his phone. While he did that she picked up a prefilled syringe from the tray along with a bright pink elastic strap. 

The images that came up when he Googled EEG readings was enough to make his heart race. A beeping came from the doctor’s computer but she only looked at the monitor, then over at him and nodded. 

“That’s what I figured. It was why we developed the sensors.” She said, carefully sitting on the couch to his right. He quickly locked his phone and stuffed it between his thigh and the arm of the couch. Bucky pushed the images that were trying to rise up and choke him away, forcing himself to be present in the moment. When the doctor asked him to roll up his sleeve, he concentrated on that. 

Her hands were cool but gentle as she threaded the pink strap around his bicep and tightened it down. He made a fist when she asked and didn’t react at all when she slid the needled into his vein, though he didn’t watch. 

“Alright, I just want you to relax. It’s okay if you fall asleep, I’ll wake you in an hour.” The doctor said. 

It took only a minute or so for the drugs to start to affect him. He felt his body get heavy and loose-limbed. His fingers were tingling, just a little, and his mind was going a little fuzzy. Sighing, he let himself sink into the feeling, slumping back against the couch. It felt good, really good to just relax and stare at the ceiling. 

He was distantly aware of the doctor getting up from the couch, then soft music filled the air. She’d told him to relax, so he did. 

***

The doctor woke him as she said she would, though she did it by calling his name until he came awake. She was sitting at her desk again, a smile on her face. 

“Alright, I think I’ve got the dose right. So we’re going to start up a twice a week appointment for now. And I’m going to give you these. I want you to take three of them in the morning. They’re anxiety medication, and I think you’ll benefit from taking them.” The doctor said, gesturing to the brown bottle sitting on her desk. Bucky stared at the pills for a long time, not sure if he wanted them or not. 

“I’m not… sure…” Bucky finally managed to say. Gregory gave him an understanding look before she sighed. 

“I understand that medication is something that was looked down on when you were growing up, but there really is no shame in needing help. You have something we call PTSD now. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I believe they called it ‘Shell Shock’ in your day?” The doctor said. 

“Yeah. It...wasn’t something that was really talked about.” Bucky murmured, still staring at that bottle. 

“Mental health is important, Bucky. And even though there is still some stigma with it, even now, it’s not looked down on as much. How about we compromise? Try the pills. If they don’t help within a couple of weeks, we can wean you off them and we won’t talk about it again.” Dr. Gregory said. Bucky took a deep breath and finally nodded. He felt like he was being set up, but she’d asked him to do it. She hadn’t ordered him but had given him a choice. 

Bucky left the infirmary feeling a little unsettled. The nap had been amazing, some of the most restful sleep he’d had in years. But the talk of the pills had left him feeling skittish. Was he reacting this way because of how he was raised? Or was it something else entirely? 

Telling himself that he’d do some reading on PTSD that night before bed, Bucky made his way toward his suite. He smiled, just a little when Carl fell into step behind him. Just the robot’s presence had begun to make him feel better. The robot wasn’t needed in keeping him safe, but he’d spent more than two hours talking with Victor and the King had programmed the robot to keep Bucky from hurting others. It made him feel better knowing that his hulking green shadow would keep him contained. 


End file.
